


My Life for You, My Prince

by Blaise_On_Melancholy_Hill



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Royalty, Assassination Attempt(s), Blood and Injury, Blood and Violence, Bodyguard Liam Payne, Eventual Fluff, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, M/M, Mages, Middle Ages, Minor Original Character(s), Original Character Death(s), Past Abuse, Prince Zayn, Secret Relationship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-12
Updated: 2019-03-07
Packaged: 2019-10-27 01:50:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 26,847
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17757509
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blaise_On_Melancholy_Hill/pseuds/Blaise_On_Melancholy_Hill
Summary: Zayn's father insists that he choose a bodyguard. It's custom for all young royalty to choose a warrior to accompany them through the day. His sisters already have them- though they've all been married off to prince's in other kingdoms. Zayn supposes that he can make his choice, once he's been presented with his options.Liam is a silenced mage (he's unable to use his magic) that was taken from a hard labour camp to be presented to Zayn. Surprisingly, of everyone that's there, Zayn chooses him, and Liam's new life at the side of the only prince of the royal family begins.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is an ongoing project that I started a few days ago. I've so far only got the first chapter done, but hopefully there will be much more to come. It's decently slow paced, and can get pretty mature and graphic as far as the violence and bloodshed goes in later chapters. I'm hoping that this fic will go well, as I'm really enjoying writing it, and I hope you enjoy reading it.

Hands pushed at his back, ushering him quickly through exceptionally clean and richly decorated halls. Others were with him, and it took less than a couple minutes for them to be led to a room where they were lined up shoulder to shoulder. 

"Kneel!"

He dropped to one knee in tandem with everyone else, watching what they were doing as he tried his best to imitate. 

"When the prince enters the room, you will all bow. Keep your eyes on the floor, speak only when spoken to. If you are asked to stand, do so, but do not make eye contact with the prince." The owner of the voice moved toward the side of the group before they circled around. "You there- mage!"

The words sent an unsavory shiver up his spine and he lifted his head, aware that the heavy silver cuffs around his wrists gave away exactly what he was. 

"You in particular will keep your eyes on the floor. Gods be willing that he'll pass right by you, but should the prince show any interest in you- keep those eyes on the carpet."

He dropped his gaze toward the floor beneath his knee and a pleased grunt met the submission. It only took a few moments for the door to open and in unison with the others, he bowed his head as soft footsteps crossed the room. He watched as a pair of bare feet swept across the floor only to pause and turn back to pass him again. In all, the prince paced the lineup of them three or four times before he finally paused. 

"Mage?" The voice that spoke was made of velvet and honey, and though the warnings were still ringing in his ears, he lifted his head to look up. 

He had almost met the gaze that was above him, but at the last moment, he let his eyes flick back down toward the floor as he spoke softly. "Yes, my Lord?"

"Stand for me, and give me your name please."

The prince was so much more polite than he really needed to be. He could have anything he wanted just on a whim, just with a single word, but for whatever reason he still had impeccable manners. 

Shifting to stand, he kept his eyes down as he recited his name softly. "Liam, at your service, my Lord."

"Thank you." Fingertips slid over the side of his arm before a hand moved to hold onto him and lift his hand. 

The prince's fingers traced the etchings on the sides of the cuff around his wrist, humming with interest. "You are quite powerful, aren't you? They've had to use many runes to hold back your talents." The prince tipped his head to the side, the pad of his thumb sliding over the polished metal. "Yes, you are well practised."

Liam wanted to comment on the musings, to answer the questions he was sure the prince would have, but he stayed silent, eyes on the floor. He didn't dare to even try to look up, the warnings still rebounding in his head. 

He knew what happened to mages that disobeyed orders- especially ones that were silenced. The prince eventually let go of him, and Liam watched him step back. He moved again to kneel, but the prince's voice stopped him. 

"What're you doing?" 

"I... I'm returning to the line, my Lord."

"No," The prince said, a little playful edge to his tone. "You're coming with me." 

"My lord- if I may-" A guard began. 

"No," The prince said again, lifting a hand. "You may not. My decision is final." 

Liam kept his head tipped down, even as a hand took hold of his arm to begin leading him from the room. He just followed, keeping his gaze on the prince's bare feet as he padded down the carpeted hallway. He was led through the hallways for at least a couple of minutes before a door was opened and he was pulled lightly into a room. 

"So, you're silenced," The prince began. "Can you use a weapon?" 

"I've handled a sword once or twice," Liam replied, and since his gaze was still lowered, he missed the smirk that crossed the prince's face with the innuendo. 

"So you need training?" 

Liam nodded, not even bothering to lie about it. "Yes, my Lord."

"Then, tomorrow your training will begin. For tonight, I want you to bathe and change from those rags. You will sleep on the floor by my bed." 

Again, Liam nodded. At least sleeping on the soft carpet would be better than trying to sleep on the cold stone floor of the dungeon room they had given him to stay in during the night. Through the day, he had been set to work, doing whatever manual labour they had demanded of him. It was better to work than to end up like some of the other mages he'd seen, the ones that had fought back. 

"Go." The prince pushed him toward another door across the room, and Liam waited until he had closed the door behind him before he lifted his head. 

He glanced around the room, seeing some clothes and a couple of towels folded on the counter, a bath already filled with steaming water. He reached to begin stripping off, folding up the ragged clothes, even though he knew they would be thrown out at the earliest possible convenience. 

Stepping into the bath, Liam began to scrub the dirt from his skin and hair, watching the water turn a murky sort of brown colour the longer he continued. He tried to take as little time as possible, knowing that the prince was waiting for him. He still made sure to be thorough though, enjoying the few minutes he had in the hot water. Once finished, he picked up a rough towel to dry off with, pleased that the white fabric stayed white as he finished. 

He dressed in the new clothes he'd been provided with before he exited the bathroom, making sure to keep his gaze on the floor at his feet. He heard a movement and a little hum before the prince spoke.

"Much better, now come with me. We'll have you fitted for some armor." 

\--

Liam shifted uncomfortably as the heavy plate metal cuirass was strapped onto him. He held his arms out to the sides, eyes fixed on the floor as the buckles were pulled tight. A set of greaves were strapped around his legs before he was made to put on some steel and leather boots. He had to forego the gauntlets thanks to the cuffs around his wrists, but the armorer still put a set of pauldrons across his shoulders that he strapped down to the cuirass and wrapped around his biceps. 

"Flex." 

The order was followed immediately and Liam tensed, bending his arm up to flex his bicep. The straps were adjusted and the armorer stepped back. 

"How is this, my Lord?"

Liam tried not to tense up as hands dragged over the plate metal at his chest before they slipped around his sides to adjust the buckles at his waist. 

"It looks good," The prince said. "Now how about a sword?" 

"In fact, I have just received a finely crafted steel short sword from the blacksmith this morning, just for your protector," The armorer said, crossing the room quickly before he returned with a sheathed sword and a heavy looking kite shield.

The sword was attached around Liam's waist, the shield being strapped to his left arm. All of this armor was so incredibly heavy, and Liam was sure that just one day spent in it would make him want to collapse beneath it, but he forced himself to stand as straight as possible. He had to make sure the prince was pleased with him. 

"And a helmet?" The armored asked. 

"No, there's no need for that," The prince replied, and Liam was honestly rather relieved that he wouldn't have to deal with even more weight. "Now take it off, Liam. You'll have to get used to putting it on and taking it off on your own." 

It took a bit for Liam to manage to take the armor off, but he still managed it, setting each piece on a nearby table while the armorer described how it all needed to be taken care of so it didn't wear too quickly. He paid rapt attention to the words, wanting to make sure he took proper care of his equipment.

"Put that sword back on, and come with me, please," The prince said. 

Liam strapped the sword around his waist again, following after the prince as he walked out of the room. He didn't know where they were going, but it really didn't matter. The prince led him back to his bedroom, moving to take a seat on the edge of the bed. 

"Stand there," He said, gesturing. 

Liam moved to stand where the prince told him to, keeping his head down, his hand resting automatically on the hilt of the sword. He heard a shifting sound and couldn't stop the way his gaze moved to look from the corner of his eye. The prince was undressing, pulling off the silky looking clothes he was wearing to toss them onto the bed. 

There was a quick knock on the door, and Liam's gaze flicked back down to the floor, though he couldn't stop the way his hand tightened just a little around the hilt of the sword at his waist. 

"Yes, come in," The prince called, and the door opened but a moment later. 

Liam let himself look up for a moment to see who stepped inside, seeing a young lady who was obviously a maid, if the covered platter in her hands was any clue. There was an older woman behind her that carried another tray with a steel pitcher and a couple of tankards. 

"We've brought your dinner for you, and your companion, prince Zayn," The older woman said, padding into the room to set the tray she was holding onto a polished desk just next to the bed. 

The prince- Zayn apparently- thanked her lightly and she and the other girl left within a few moments. Zayn just continued undressing, pulling on a robe that was draped over the back of the chair by the desk, tying it firmly around his waist. He reached with one nimble fingered hand to lift the top off the platter, looking over the food that had been prepared for them. He picked up an empty plate, beginning to dish out some of the food that was spread over the large platter. 

Liam said nothing, just staring at the floor between his feet. He couldn't deny, now that there was food nearby and the smell had begun to permeate the room was making the gaping pit of hunger in his stomach begin to overtake him. He still stayed silent though. 

He heard footsteps cross the room, and a plate was held out toward him. In his surprise at being offered the honestly mouth watering looking food, Liam looked up and his gaze locked with Zayn's. In the moment he met with those amber eyes, part of him honestly almost expected a slap, but the prince just gave him a little smile. 

Liam just stared for a moment too long and Zayn let out this little laugh, shaking his head. "Are you going to eat?"

Pulling himself from the lapse of attention, Liam dropped his gaze before he reached with both hands to take the plate gently from Zayn. "Thank you, my Lord," He said reverently.

Not wanting to move from where he had been told to stand, Liam just shifted to sit cross legged on the floor, setting the steel plate into his lap. He tried not to eat too fast, or with too much desperation, but the moment he took a bite of one of the roasted chicken legs he'd been given, Liam couldn't hold back. 

It had been weeks since he had had anything more than just mealy bread and watery soup. A tankard was set on the floor just next to his knee, and Liam again glanced up for just a moment before he gently thanked Zayn for the drink. The prince moved off to sit on the bed, beginning to eat his own meal in silence. 

Liam finished his plate much too quickly, and he was going to just deal with the slightly unfulfilled feeling before Zayn again spoke softly. 

"There's more, if you like," The prince said. 

"I..." Liam paused, chewing lightly at his bottom lip as he wondered if he should accept or not. "Are you sure?" 

"Oh yes, of course. You can have all that's left in fact." 

Liam moved to stand, padding across the short distance to the desk. There wasn't much left, just another piece of roasted chicken and some grilled vegetables, but Liam really didn't mind that. He did as Zayn suggested, taking what was left before he moved to return to his seat on the floor. 

He finished off the second helping and the tankard of honeyed mead that he had been given before Zayn had even managed to finish eating his own meal. When Liam stood to set the plate and the cup onto the platter, he couldn't help but glance at Zayn, who was sitting cross legged on the bed, eating rather slowly as he flipped through a thickly bound book that Liam hadn't even realized he had. 

Seeing him like this, lost in whatever words were scrawled neatly across the pages, the robe he was wearing lying slightly open across his chest, hanging down over his bare shoulder- Liam couldn't deny his absolute beauty. Almost as though he could sense his gaze, Zayn looked up and Liam quickly looked down toward the floor, moving back to stand just by the foot of the bed where Zayn had told him to stay. 

It took many silent minutes before Zayn finally flipped his book closed to get up off the bed, setting his own plate and cup on the platter with Liam's before he crossed the room to a cupboard. Pulling open the doors, he took out some woven woolen blankets and a straw stuffed pillow which he padded across the room with to offer to Liam.

"Here's your bedding. I expect you to keep it neat. Fold it each morning and put it under my bed to keep it out of the way. You will sleep here-" He gestured to the floor just at the side of the bed between it and the door- "Keep your sword within reach and be ready for anything, at any time- you will protect my person. Your armor will be brought to you tomorrow morning, and I expect you to be up and equipped before I wake- every morning."

Liam nodded, reaching to take the blankets from Zayn. "If I may, my Lord?"

"Yes, ask what you will." 

"Do you wish for me to rouse you in the mornings, and is there anything else you would like for me to attend to?" 

"Yes, actually. I would prefer that you wake me, but not too early, yes? I like to sleep late, and I don't want to be disturbed before the sun touches the floor."

"Yes, my Lord." Liam nodded again, bowing slightly at the waist. He was falling into this service relatively easily, and he was rather thankful for it. At least it didn't seem to be difficult work, it was nothing compared to the labour he had been forced to do while in custody.

"As I understand it, you've spent a few years in the dungeons?" Zayn asked, and Liam nodded again. 

"Yes, my Lord," He repeated softly. "Four and a half, to be exact."

"Hm. Then it shouldn't take long for you to settle into the luxury of your new home," Zayn said. "Now, I wish to retire for the night, and you will do the same."

Again, Liam repeated his agreement obediently, standing where he was until Zayn had moved away. He removed the robe he was wearing, tossing it onto the back of the chair again before he moved to get into the bed, slipping between the silken linens. 

"Oh, and I also expect you to keep the fire stoked through the night, I prefer it warm in here." 

"Of course, my Lord," Liam said, glancing across the room toward the fireplace and the neatly stacked wood next to it. 

He moved to lay out the blankets and the pillow on the floor, taking a couple of minutes to put a couple more logs on the fire before he padded back to Zayn's bedside. He took the sword off his waist, lying it gently on the floor by his pillow before he moved to sit. 

Quietly, Liam removed his shirt, folding it to lay it just next to the sword before he moved to stretch out. He laid on top of one of the blankets, covering himself with the other one as he settled, letting out a soft breath. Of course, the floor beneath him was hard and pressed into his shoulders, but it wasn't nearly as uncomfortable as lying on the bare, cold stone of the dungeon. 

He was comfortable enough that he fell asleep rather quickly, rolling onto his stomach in his slumber. Through the night- as usual- Liam woke multiple times, sleeping lightly enough that any sound was enough to pull him back to consciousness. He got up a few times to check on the fire, making sure that it stayed warm in the room for Zayn, and he even got up once to check the door, pulling it open quietly to glance down the hallway.

When morning rolled around, Liam let himself lay under the warm, comfortable blanket, just letting himself enjoy it for a few minutes. He was, however, interrupted from that as the door of the room was pushed open. 

Liam had reached to withdraw the sword before he could even think about it, and he sat up to meet with the surprised gaze of a young servant boy who was holding the set of armor and a burlap bag with the care items that Liam had been given the evening before. He let out a little breath, sheathing the sword quietly before he got up to cross the room. 

He was quiet as he took the set of armor from the young man, thanking him in a hushed tone as to not disturb Zayn. Once the servant had left, Liam closed the door gently before he crossed the room. He set the armor quietly on a table across the room before he went to pick up his bedding, folding everything up neatly to slide it under the bed as he had been instructed. He pulled his shirt on and checked the fire once more before he began to put the armor on, doing so as quietly as he possibly could. 

It took him a while to figure out the buckles and straps, and he could only hope that this would get easier as he got more practise in equipping it. Lastly, he slung the sword around his waist before he moved to just sort of stand by the end of the bed where he had been last night. It wasn't yet time to wake Zayn, as the sun was barely touching the windowsill, and Liam wasn't sure what he should be doing, so, he just waited. 

Minutes passed and again the door shifted to open quietly, and Liam again automatically reached to set his hand on the hilt of the sword. A maid stepped in, a large platter of what Liam assumed was breakfast held between her hands. She crossed the room wordlessly to set the platter on the desk, taking the one from the night before with her as she left silently, closing the door behind herself. 

Liam turned to look toward the window, seeing the sun beginning to filter through it to spill over the floor in a gentle glow. Taking a breath to stave off any nervousness at what he was about to do, Liam turned toward the bed. 

Gently, he moved to drag a hand over Zayn's shoulder, giving him a soft little shake. "My Lord?"

Zayn shifted with a little groan, pulling the blankets up over his head, but Liam didn't let up. Giving him another gentle shake, Liam repeated himself a little louder. 

"My Lord? It's time to wake. Breakfast is waiting for you." 

Zayn let out a breath and in this tired, gravelly little voice, he finally spoke. "I'm awake. Thank you Liam."

Liam pulled away, stepping back, and Zayn pushed the blanket away from his face to sit up, stretching. "Would you go to my wardrobe and get me some clothes?"

"Of course," Liam replied easily before he moved to walk across the room, opening a tall wardrobe to go through the clothing within, taking out a set of satiny black and green robes with gold trimmings that he brought back to the bed, lying them onto the foot of it neatly. 

Zayn dragged his hands through his hair before he moved to push the blankets back to stand. Liam moved back, returning to his spot as Zayn began to dress, staying barefoot. With the way Liam fixed his gaze on the floor, he could see that Zayn hardly ever wore shoes- if at all. His feet were somewhat rough and calloused from walking on the rough ground and Liam couldn't help but wonder why he insisted on going about barefoot. 

He didn't ask though, keeping such questions to himself until Zayn had at least gotten a little more comfortable with his presence. When Zayn had finished dressing, he crossed to the desk to take the top off the platter, dishing out two plates. 

This time, Liam couldn't help but notice that Zayn gave him more than he took for himself, and he was honestly a little surprised that he would be so generous. He could have given Liam the bare minimum, but he was given a large, soft piece of bread, a few different types of fruits, a piece of what looked to be turkey breast from the size of it, sausages and he'd even been given some sort of pastry tart. With his other hand, Zayn passed him a tankard of more of that honeyed mead from the night before. 

"Thank you, my Lord," Liam said, his surprise obvious in his tone. 

Zayn offered a little smile. "It's good that you have a big appetite. You'll need it. Your training starts today, and I plan to oversee your progress."

Liam nodded, shifting to sit on the floor, even though the cumbersome armor didn't at all make it easy. Zayn reached to lightly take hold of his elbow, and Liam couldn't stop himself from looking up. 

"You may sit on the chair," Zayn said, obviously noticing that the armor wasn't exactly made to be sitting on the floor with. 

"Thank you," Liam repeated, moving to take a seat on the chair by the desk, setting his plate and the tankard on the surface. 

Zayn moved to sit on the bed, crossing his legs comfortably under himself as he began to eat. 

Again, Liam finished well before Zayn did, setting the plate back onto the empty platter before he sat back a little to sip at the tankard of mead. He lightly pulled his sleeve down, rubbing it over the plate metal that covered his thigh to wipe away a small smudge of a fingerprint. It was a few minutes later when Zayn stood to cross toward the desk, setting his plate and empty mug down onto the platter. 

Liam quickly finished off the last of his mead, moving to stand before he pushed the chair in lightly and grabbed his shield, obviously ready to do whatever Zayn wanted of him. Wordlessly, Zayn gestured for Liam to follow and with a soft breath, he shadowed behind Zayn silently- or as silently as the heavy armor would let him. 

The prince led him through the palace and out a large set of doors that led out to a pathway outside. He just continued after Zayn until they came upon what appeared to be a training ground- if the guards doing their exercises were any clue. Everything stopped the moment Zayn stepped foot onto the cobblestone, and the guardsmen bowed at the waist as he passed, Liam still just following after him. 

"General," Zayn greeted lightly, the word being met with a deep bow. 

"My prince. What might I help you with this morning?"

"I'd like you to pick your best warrior. I want my man properly trained to use a sword."

Liam stood up a little staighter, trying to appear confident as the general straightened to look over him. 

"He appears strong," He said, before his gaze caught on the silver cuffs weighing down Liam's wrists. "But I've never seen a mage that was any good with a weapon."

Zayn pursed his lips together lightly. "I want him trained, and you will do it." It was the first time that Liam had ever heard him make a proper demand, and it made him tense just slightly with the tone of his voice. 

"O-of course, my prince," The general assured. "I will have my best man meet you at your preferred location." 

"The garden," Zayn replied. "I wish to oversee the training, and I want to be comfortable."

"Yes, my Lord. He will be there shortly." 

Zayn gestured for Liam as he turned to walk away, and he just followed after the prince, ignoring the looks he was receiving from a few of the guardsmen as he passed by. There was one, however at the end of the line up that was giving Zayn a look that Liam really didn't appreciate. He honestly wasn't sure what to do, but as they reached the man, he seemed to think it a bright idea to try to touch him. 

The prince was surprised by the sound of a sword being drawn and he spun around only to see Liam with the tip of his weapon pressed to the underside of the guardsman's jaw. 

"What is the meaning of this?" 

"Forgive me, my Lord," Liam said, not lowering the sword in the slightest. "I didn't believe that you would appreciate being groped." 

Zayn's eyes widened slightly and that accusing golden gaze flicked toward the guard who looked like he might piss himself at any moment. "You dare?!"

The guardsman swallowed thickly, though he didn't say a word. Nobody tried to step in either, knowing that Liam would automatically be in the right as far as Zayn was concerned. 

"Remove him of the offending hand." 

It surprised Liam more than he cared to admit that Zayn would demand for such a thing, but he didn't dare try to deny the command. Stepping back slightly, Liam lowered the sword from the guard's throat to grab hold of his arm in a restraining grip. Zayn watched as he held fast to the struggling guard, lining up the strike before he lifted the sword over his head to swing. He didn't have the chance to make the blow though, as Zayn's voice stopped him just as he was about to swing his arm down. 

"Enough, Liam."

He released his grip and the guard immediately dropped to his knees to grovel to Zayn, who just gave him a sort of distasteful look, making him shut up immediately. Liam reached to sheath his blade, obviously waiting for Zayn to tell him what he wanted of him. 

"Your loyalty astounds me," Zayn said. "Was it for my honor, or simply because I told you to that you would carry through with an order like that?"

"Both, of course, my Lord," Liam replied with a slight bow at the waist, figuring that it would be the best answer. 

The guard at Zayn's feet reached out, and Zayn had to step back to keep him from grabbing hold of his robes to grovel some more. Liam stepped forward immediately, pressing his foot down into the guardsman's back to shove him flat onto the dusty ground.

"My prince may have rescinded your punishment, but another step out of line will find my blade in the back of that hand," He threatened. 

Zayn nodded, apparently pleased with Liam's protection of his personal space. "Come along." 

Liam pulled away from the guard to step around him and follow after Zayn, beginning to walk toward the gardens with him. It only took a minute or so for them to get there, and Zayn crossed toward a large tree that had a wooden bench beneath it. He took a seat on the bench, and Liam moved to stand just next to him, his hands folded together in front of his stomach. 

"Liam," Zayn said, gesturing, and Liam stepped to lean down to get a little closer so the prince wouldn't have to move to look at him. 

"Yes, my Lord?" 

"I want to get your armor gilded."

Liam paused for a moment, looking over himself. "Gilded, my prince?"

"Yes, in silver and gold. I want you to look more the part of my personal guard than just any other soldier. They'll know just by looking at you that you belong at my side."

Something about that made this little fluttering feeling move through Liam's stomach. Something about the idea of belonging at Zayn's side made him feel some type of way, though he couldn't exactly explain it. 

"When would I need to bring it in for them to do so?" Liam asked, of course accepting whatever Zayn wanted to do. 

"After your training, we will take it to the armorer. You will have to stay there, as I want him to first better fit your chest piece as well."

"Of course, my Lord," Liam replied easily, bowing lightly at the waist. 

Seeing the other guard coming in the distance, Zayn glanced toward Liam. "I also want you to go inside and get a servant to get me some paper and ink." 

Again, Liam bowed, turning to walk quickly inside. News seemed to have made it around the palace as to who he was and who he spoke for, as the guards straightened up and the first servant that Liam came across bowed to him. 

"Good morning," He greeted. "My prince would like for someone to bring him paper and ink in the gardens. Please do so quickly." 

The servant boy nodded, setting down everything to turn and rush away. Liam turned on the spot to leave the palace once more, crossing immediately to Zayn where he took a knee. "Somebody will be along soon, my prince."

"Good," Zayn said, gesturing for Liam to stand up. "This is the man that will train you, I wish for you to start immediately."

Liam stood straight, stepping back, already drawing his sword as he moved a few feet away from Zayn. The first thing the guard did was teach Liam a proper stance and the proper swinging technique. Liam honestly didn't like how close the guy got to him, wrapping a hand around his to guide his movements, the other resting at his hip. 

He also stood a little too close behind Liam as well, and it wasn't long before he stepped away, pulling his arm out of the light grip at the back of his hand. Zayn looked up at the sudden quietness, tipping his head to the side a bit as Liam spoke. 

"I would prefer it if you wouldn't put your hands on me like that," Liam said, uncomfortable with really anybody getting in his personal space. 

Zayn crossed his legs, watching the light altercation between Liam and the soldier. 

"I was only trying to demonstrate." 

The soldier reached out, and Liam took another step back. "Then demonstrate, there's no need for you to touch me."

He noticed the soldier step away and drop his gaze just before a weight pressed lightly against Liam's back, and hands slid up over the front of his cuirass. Part of him wanted to pull away, but he knew that it was Zayn that had wrapped arms around his waist.

"You don't like to be touched, but you don't shy away from me," Zayn said, leaning his cheek against the smooth, warm metal of the pauldron at Liam's left shoulder. 

"Of course not, my prince," Liam said. "It is an honor to me that you would set aside your personal space."

"Your loyalty still astounds me," Zayn commented, pulling away, and Liam couldn't help but notice the way those soft hands slipped over his sides as the prince moved back, fingertips lightly dragging over the leather straps holding his armor on.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter two, as promised, now with more character development and plot. ^-^

Liam stood as still as he could manage, trying to ignore the droplets of sweat slipping down the side of his neck. It was absolutely boiling in the room, and the overly warm- though not exactly too hot- metal that pressed against his chest over and over certainly didn't help. 

Zayn was sitting at the other side of the room beneath an open window, one leg crossed overtop of the other as he sketched something onto the pages that the servant had fetched for him earlier that morning. Liam didn't miss the amber gaze that rather frequently flicked between him and the page either. Part of him knew that Zayn was drawing him, but he wasn't sure why, or what exactly he was sketching down on those papers. 

The front piece of his cuirass was pressed against Liam's chest once again, and the armorer seemed to be satisfied with the fit of it, having adjusted it to more snugly hug Liam's body. He had done the same with all the other pieces as well, and it had been over an hour of Liam standing here like this, dying from the heat. The armorer set the half cuirass onto the table so he could rivet the pieces together and attach the leather buckles. 

"You should go and cool down," He said, gesturing. 

Liam nodded, stepping down from the slightly raised platform he had been standing on before he crossed toward Zayn. The prince shifted his pages, removing the most recent one he had been sketching at moments ago to slip it to the bottom of the pile. Liam just stood on the other side of the window from him, letting out a little breath as a light, cool breeze whispered over the bare skin of his chest. 

Zayn had gone back to his papers, and was putting what looked like some finishing touches on a set of armor that he had drawn up. Standing, Zayn crossed the room to the armorer, setting the paper onto the table and explaining to him what he would like as far as the design of the gilding on the armor went. 

The armorer just listened, nodding after Zayn finished before he bowed lightly. "We will begin working on it immediately, my Lord. We will do our best to have it finished by the morning."

Of course that would mean that they would have to work through most of the night, but that didn't matter. Zayn wanted it done, and so it would be. He gestured for Liam as he walked away from the table and he grabbed his shirt before he jogged to catch up with the prince as he walked from the room. 

He just followed after Zayn, vaguely believing that they were heading toward the prince's bedroom. He paused by the kitchen though, asking the cook to put together a lunch for them before he continued on with Liam on his heels. When they reached the prince's chambers, Liam closed the door behind them before he crossed toward the bed, standing near the end of it, his arms crossed behind his back. 

"Liam?" Zayn asked, drawing his attention. 

"Yes, my prince?"

"Where did you get that scar on your chest?" 

Self consciously, Liam reached to touch at the clothed skin just over where he knew the scar was. "It's from an incident I had while working."

"It's from a burn, is it not? Would you take off your shirt? Show me." 

Liam reached up to pull off the shirt he was wearing with the collar of it, folding the garment quickly to set it on the bed before he turned to face Zayn, his gaze lowered. There was a shifting of movement before soft fingers slipped over the thick, pink scar tissue. 

"It is from a burn, my Lord," Liam said, answering his earlier question. 

"What happened?" Zayn asked, tracing the rough edges of the mark. 

Honestly, Liam wasn't sure if he should tell the truth, but he finally just let out a breath. "There had been a fight between another couple of workers, and when I stepped in to try to stop it, one of them tried to hit the other with a burning branch. My clothing caught fire and I was seriously burned before I could remove it." 

Zayn again traced the rough shape with the tips of his fingers before he let those soft fingers trail up and over the side of Liam's neck. "And the one across your back?"

Now that one, Liam really wasn't sure if he should explain, and he bit his lip, staying silent for a long moment before he finally just closed his eyes. "The man that oversaw the labourers I had been assigned with had this... whip. He called it a ripping whip after the hooked blades at the end of it," He paused for a moment, realizing that Zayn's hand had paused just at the side of his neck, thumb tracing over his jawline and the roughness of his beard. "I had stepped in to try to stop his abuse of a young lady, and when he demanded if I would rather take her punishment- I did. I got three lashes and he sent me back to work even while I bled until I was sick."

Gently, Zayn pulled on his shoulder and Liam turned on the spot, feeling those soft fingers slip over the scar that slashed across the back of his shoulder and down over the middle of his back. Now that he could inspect it closer, Zayn could see that there were indeed more than just one mark all conjoined together. It hadn't healed quite right either, the skin raised and inflamed in places around the jagged marks.

"Were you given medical attention?"

"By another of the pr- workers, yes. I wasn't allowed to stop working though."

Zayn let out a little breath before he made Liam turn back to face him, reaching up to cup the side of his face gently. To say that Liam was surprised with the gentle, rather intimate touch would be a definite understatement. He didn't have any time to actually think over what Zayn might do though, as there was a knock on the door and Zayn pulled away quickly, leaving Liam just standing there in shock. He got over it though, quickly pulling on his shirt before he moved to stand at the foot of the bed just as Zayn called for whomever had knocked to enter. 

Liam just kept his gaze on the floor as the door opened and somebody padded into the room to set a tray of food onto the desk. Zayn thanked them lightly and Liam looked up as the prince moved from the side of the bed. The servant hadn't left- which was strange, although he had moved back a little to give Zayn space to stand by the desk. 

He noticed just the slightest movement and before he could even think about it, he was across the few feet between himself and Zayn, just in time to stop a blow from a thin dagger. The tip of it screeched over one of his cuffs before digging deeply into the meat of his left arm. He released a hiss of pain, reaching with his other hand to wrest the weapon from the would be assailant, throwing him to the floor. He was upon the man within a moment, one knee pressing into his chest while he held the knife against his throat to keep him down, ignoring the blood sliding down his arm. 

"He doesn't deserve it-!" 

Liam pressed harder against the man's throat. 

"He shouldn't have been allowed to take his first breath! He's an abomination before god!"

The words would have made him pause, if Liam wasn't so intent on making sure that nothing happened to Zayn. He was sure that it would absolutely be his head if anything at all happened to the prince. Besides that, part of Liam already knew that he owed Zayn more than just his protection. 

"Hold your tongue, or I'll cut it off!" Liam growled, pressing the knife against the man's throat with enough force that a droplet of blood slipped down the side of his neck. He lifted his head, looking up toward Zayn who was leaned against the desk, eyes wide and absolutely terrified as he looked over the scene. 

"My Lord," Liam said gently, drawing that gaze. "What would you have me do with him?" 

"R-restrain him," Zayn said, watching Liam's strong hands as they wrapped around the man's wrists, dragging his arms behind him to twist both of them up toward his shoulder blades. "Take- take him t-to the guards." 

Liam was up in a moment, hauling the man to his feet to drag him from the room. As they left, Zayn just dropped onto the floor, shaking like a leaf as he curled into himself. He had no idea how many minutes it took for Liam to return, and he looked up sharply as the door closed. 

The prince couldn't stop himself from reaching out, and Liam crossed to gently pull him to his feet. Zayn tossed his arms around his neck, pressing close against his chest, trembling lightly, and Liam didn't know what to do. He wanted to offer comfort, of course he did, but he didn't know if Zayn would appreciate any sort of reciprocation to his touch. Finally, hesitantly, Liam lifted a hand, wrapping just his right arm around Zayn's waist, the other hanging at his side, trying to keep the blood from dripping onto the floor. 

Zayn felt a warm drop of something land on the top of one of his bare feet, and he pulled back a little. Reaching to take Liam's arm, he pushed his sleeve back with a wince as he looked over the deep injury. 

"Liam..."

"It's okay, my Lord," Liam assured softly. "He didn't get to you." 

There was something soft, though unidentifiable in that amber gaze as Zayn looked up at him for a moment. Automatically, Liam dropped his eyes down toward the floor, spotting the blood on the top of Zayn's foot, though he didn't have time to do anything about it.

The prince moved back to pull him toward the bathroom and the bowl of washing water that sat on top of a polished wooden table. He took down a rag which he dipped into the water, wringing it out before he began to wash away the blood that had streaked over Liam's arm. He reached to help him remove his soiled shirt, wiping away the rest of the blood before tending to the wound, which was deep but honestly not as bad as it looked. 

Liam just watched what Zayn was doing, a soft little look on his face. He hadn't ever expected that the prince himself would dirty his hands with something like this, but it wasn't long before the bleeding had stopped and he had a makeshift bandage wrapped tightly around his arm. 

Zayn seemed to still be a little shaken up, and Liam gently took down another cloth, wetting it before he began to gently wash Zayn's hands, scrubbing the blood from his nails before he took a knee. Leaning, Liam wiped away the spot of blood on Zayn's foot, not noticing the way that the prince was watching him. 

When he finished, Liam stood up before he offered a hand with a little smile, setting the cloth onto the table next to the wash bowl. Zayn took his hand and Liam led him gently back to the bed, having him sit. 

"If you wish it, I will go personally to the kitchen to get a different meal. I don't trust to let you eat anything off that tray, my prince."

Zayn nodded, and Liam picked up the tray to leave the room with it, padding down the hallway toward the kitchen. He took only a few moments to explain the situation to the staff, and he stood by the table, overlooking what they were doing, and making somebody try each thing that was put onto the platter. 

He knew that there was somebody that would taste test everything that the royal family was fed, but he didn't much care. He wanted to make absolutely sure. When the platter was set properly, Liam reached to pick it up, thanking the staff before he left the room to go back to Zayn. 

He set the tray against his hip, reaching to open the door, only to find that it was locked. Of course, he should have expected that Zayn might be a little paranoid. Reaching to knock, Liam spoke. 

"My Lord? Would you open the door?"

He heard movement before the lock was pulled back and the door opened. He stepped into the room, closing the door behind himself as he crossed the room with Zayn. Setting the tray onto the desk, Liam made a plate for Zayn, pouring him a cup of mead before he padded to the bed to hand the dishes to Zayn. 

The prince took the plate and cup from Liam, letting out a soft breath as he set the plate into his lap. Liam made up his own plate and got his own drink before he crossed to sit on the floor by the bedside as he usually would, setting his plate in his lap. He glanced up to make sure that Zayn was eating before he began to eat his own meal. 

It was silent between them for a few long minutes before Zayn shifted, one bare foot pushing lightly at Liam's shoulder. Not looking up, Liam spoke. 

"Yes, my prince?" 

"Do you know how to ride a horse?" Zayn asked, shifting to cross his legs again. 

"I have a few times," Liam replied, finally glancing toward Zayn. "Would you like for me to go riding with you this afternoon, my Lord?"

Zayn nodded. "We'll stop at the armory to pick up your sword before we leave."

Liam could understand how he might want to have a little more protection now that his first assassination attempt had passed- and now Liam was also injured, not that it would keep him from doing his job. 

As usual, Liam finished his food well before Zayn did, and he moved to stand by the corner of the bed, letting out a soft breath. He couldn't help but think upon what had happened, the slightest of frowns pulling down between his brows. He stared down toward the floor, thinking on what could have happened had he not been here, or had he not acted quickly enough. He couldn't afford another lapse in attention like that- not as long as there were others around. 

Not just that, but what had the assailant been talking about? An abomination before god? Zayn? Liam let his gaze shift to look over toward the prince who was still sitting on the bed, just finishing off his food. He seemed to be rather sweet, and he wasn't nearly as demanding or spoiled as he could be. Not to mention- even Liam couldn't deny that Zayn was beautiful with those thick, dark lashes that framed those gorgeous honey coloured eyes and the fact that he had a face that had to have been sculpted by the gods. Oh, yes, he was ever so soft and ever so beautiful, there was absolutely no trying to fight that fact. 

Liam looked away after a moment, hearing Zayn shift to stand up and cross toward the desk to put down his plate and empty mug before he turned to Liam. 

"Come on," He said softly, gesturing. 

He crossed to the same cupboard that he had taken the blankets from, taking out a shirt that he handed over to Liam, who pulled it on quickly so he could follow Zayn out of the room. He padded down the hallway behind the prince, who paused by a random guard to ask him to get somebody to saddle a couple of horses for them. The guard bowed deeply before he quickly walked away to do as he was asked and Zayn continued on down the hall. 

Liam just shadowed after the prince quietly, walking into the armory with him. There was the armorer and someone else that Liam could only assume was a blacksmith standing at a table across the room, using some intricate little tools on a set of armor that Liam also just assumed was his. Zayn crossed toward them with Liam on his heels and the armorer looked up, bowing his head immediately. 

"What can I do for you, my Lord?"

"I need Liam's sword, is it done?" He asked, and the armorer immediately reached for a shelf underneath the table, lying the weapon and the belt it was connected to onto the table. 

"It is, my Lord, is this to your liking?" 

Zayn gestured and Liam picked it up, looking over the delicate golden foil that had been gilded onto the scabbard and the cross-guard of the weapon. A few gems had even been set into the pommel and either end of the cross-guard. He moved to pull the blade from the scabbard, looking over it with slightly wide eyes. The fuller groove down the centre of the blade had been filled with gold and was finely polished to an immaculate sheen. It had to be the best craftsmanship he had ever seen and he couldn't help but run his fingers over the polished gold. 

He had never even seen something that was worth so much, much less held this much gold in his own hands. Carefully, reverently, he slid the weapon back into the scabbard before he looked over the belt, which hadn't been changed all that much other than all of the studs had had gems set into them. 

"You really want me to carry this around, my Lord?" He asked. "I've never seen something crafted so exquisitely."

"Of course I do," Zayn replied with a nod. "It's befitting of someone of your position."

Liam didn't try to deny Zayn, he just wrapped the belt around his hips to buckle it, adjusting it lightly for a moment before he set his hand at the hilt of the weapon. 

"And the shield?" Zayn asked. 

"It was set aside to cool, my Lord, but it should be finished. I will go look." 

Zayn nodded and the armorer rushed away to the other side of the room. He checked over the shield first, making sure that it was properly ready for use before he brought it back to the table. Liam reached to take it from him, looking over it for a moment with raised eyebrows. Gold and silver was intricately moulded onto the face of it in a simple, though elegant pattern, and again he couldn't help but feel that he didn't deserve something so extravagant.

He strapped the shield to his left arm, grateful that the leather strip was further up than the injury, so it wasn't at all bothered. He turned to Zayn then, who nodded and gestured for him to come along with him. Liam followed after Zayn, walking just a couple feet behind the prince as they headed toward a part of the palace he had never been to. 

Not that it was really surprising that he hadn't been to parts of this huge building, but he was sure that eventually he would know the place as well as Zayn did. He just followed after the prince, trying to mentally map the halls as he was led through them. Zayn took him out a door and down a pathway toward what looked like a stable. 

Two horses and a couple of stable hands were waiting for them and as Zayn approached, they bowed lightly at the waist. Zayn sort of ignored them, just giving them a nod before he moved to one of the horses, stroking a gentle hand over the softness of it's nose. He smiled, reaching up to push aside the forelock that covered a bright white star on the horse's forehead, tracing his fingertips over it. 

Liam just stood slightly off to the side, the palm of his hand resting lightly over the pommel of his sword in an obvious protective and ready stance. He waited for Zayn to greet the animals and choose his mount before he took the remaining horse. It took him a couple tries to get up into the saddle- with much less grace than Zayn's easy movements had had- but once he was seated, it wasn't so bad. 

Zayn gave him but a few moments to settle before he clicked his tongue and tapped his heels to the horse's flanks. Liam was quick to follow suit, and the horses trotted down the pathway together until they reached a gate. They didn't even have to slow before the doors opened and they were leaving the palace grounds. 

The prince was so graceful and comfortable in the saddle, and although Liam tried to relax, it wasn't exactly easy since he'd only ever done this a few times. He held onto the reigns with one hand, the other rested at the hilt of his sword to keep the weapon from tapping at his mount's flank. Zayn led the way, turning toward the wilderness before they could reach the town, and honestly Liam was rather grateful. 

People in the town wouldn't be as understanding or fearful enough of Zayn to treat Liam with anything less than disgusted scorn for what he was. He wondered if the prince was aware of that and that was the reason he had gone this way. It soon became clear though, that Zayn had been going somewhere specific, as they were heading for a split between a couple of trees that led into a more thickly forested area off the hilly plain that the town and palace had been built on. Liam just followed after Zayn, releasing a soft breath as nature began to surround them.

He couldn't stop himself from relaxing now that they were away from the stone halls of the palace and the too high sprawl of the walls of the grounds. He had always felt better in nature, surrounded by his once preferred school of magic. Before he had been captured that was. 

He could remember that day as if it had just happened. The feeling of hands on him, trying to push him with the small group- though when he had fallen behind nobody had stopped to try to help him. The sound of cracking branches, the pounding of hooves over the dirt as he had been surrounded. He could remember the hatred and scorn in the 'hunting party's' eyes as a spear had been pressed to his throat. 

One of the men had demanded that the rest go to catch the rest of the group that had fled, and Liam had been left alone with the man. Nobody had questioned Liam's pained limp as he had been shoved along toward the camp, and if anyone had noticed the way he had quietly sobbed in the night once he'd been locked in that cell, nobody said anything. 

He was dragged from his thoughts as his mount stopped with a start, jerking her head up with a disgruntled snort. It took a moment for Liam to realize that Zayn had stopped, and he'd nearly walked his horse right into the back of Zayn's. The prince was turned in his saddle, looking back toward him with a raised eyebrow, and Liam knew he had missed something. 

"F-forgive me, my Lord," He said, tipping his head down reverently, a slight blush crossing his face. "I had been lost in thought."

"I noticed," Zayn said, turning back to push his horse onward. "I asked if you know how to swim."

"I do, my Lord," Liam replied softly, biting his lip as he lowered his gaze, just staring down at the horn of the saddle between his thighs. 

Part of him wanted to ask why, but he didn't have time to before they broke through the underbrush and into a clearing that spread along the shoreline of a small, though deep looking pond. Zayn swung his leg over the horse to dismount, draping the reigns over a low hanging branch on a nearby tree. 

Liam followed, getting down off the horse in a slightly less than graceful manner as he stumbled back a step. He did the same as Zayn, hitching his horse to a low branch before he followed the prince across the grassy clearing. Zayn just stood next to the shoreline for a long moment, looking out over the gently rippling water. 

"I like coming here," He said after a few long moments. "It's so calm, so comfortable."

Ah, so that's why Zayn had wanted to leave. He needed someplace he was comfortable with, somewhere he could go where he felt safe and away from the stress. Liam could understand that. 

"Do you come here often, my Lord?" Liam asked softly, and Zayn shrugged lightly. 

"Sometimes," He said, his tone soft. "Liam, would you do something for me?" 

"Of course, my Lord, anything." 

"If it's just you and me, would you call me by my name?" 

Liam paused with that. "That's... rather improper, my prince."

Zayn let out a soft breath, crossing his arms over his chest as a slight frown pulled down between his brows. "That's all I am to anybody," He said softly. "Nothing but the crowned prince. I'd like to have just one person treat me differently than everybody else does."

Liam chewed at his bottom lip, looking down toward the grass between his feet for a moment. "It suppose, if it's just us and there's no one else around..." He paused a moment, not sure if he should do this. "Then, I can call you by your name, my- uh, Zayn." 

Some small part of Liam couldn't help but love the smile that crossed Zayn's face with that, and the prince turned to look at him. Liam lowered his gaze before their eyes could meet, and Zayn released another breath.

"Why don't you ever really look at me?"

"I was told not to," Liam replied softly, just staring down toward the ground. "People don't trust mages to make eye contact."

Zayn tipped his head to the side curiously, looking over Liam and that oh so submissive stance of his. "Why?" 

"Some of us can use it to our advantage," He explained softly. "Eye contact creates a sort of bond, a... doorway to the mind that can be exploited. It can be used to control people, or hurt them." 

"But you're silenced," Zayn said, as if that was the answer to everything.

"Yes, my Lord- Zayn," He said, lifting one hand to look over the cuff at his wrist. "The silencing process keeps me from manifesting anything, it keeps the power from my hands which are a sort of conduit for it. The shackles hold back any magic I might try to cast, but it doesn't sever my connection with the void. I am still a mage, with or without being silenced. The only way to take the power away from me completely would be to cut off my hands and put out my eyes."

Zayn was silent for a long moment, and Liam had to force himself not to tense as fingers trailed over his arm toward the cuff at his wrist. "Have you ever seen it?" 

"Yes, Zayn, I've seen it," Liam said softly, closing his eyes. "They cut the arms above the wrist and take a hot blade to the injury to stop the bleeding before they pluck the eyes out and throw them in the fire."

Zayn's movements had paused, and when Liam dared to look, the prince had a horrified look on his face, as if he hadn't had any idea of any of it. "Why would they do that?" 

"Mages are dangerous," Liam said. "Some of us lose ourselves in the power, any and all humanity leaves us until we're nothing but war mongering murderers that would burn anybody to the ground as soon as look at them. Others will go so far as to bring back the dead, to reach across the void and rip a soul into being. It's a horrible thing, and the soul is in agony for as long as it's under the power of the mage that summoned it."

Biting his lip, the prince squeezed lightly at Liam's arm. "Have you ever...?"

"No, never," Liam assured. "I focused on nature and healing rather than destruction."

"Healing?" 

"It's possible to use the power for good, to mend wounds or shield oneself from damage, you can even calm the mind and bring peace."

"Do you not feel pity for the rest of your kind?" 

"Of course I do," Liam replied softly, turning to look out over the water. "But some of them have brought the punishment upon themselves. They chose to maim and kill and they suffered the consequences. Others, like myself, just do as they're told. It's better than a slow death." 

Zayn looked up toward Liam, looking over the pensive expression on his face. He began to understand then, why Liam was the way he was, always so quiet, so withdrawn- so submissive. Part of him wished he could help, but the things Liam had gone through, the things he had seen and experienced were too horrible for even Zayn to fix.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I wanted to keep it as slow as the first chapter in hopes of developing a few more things before anything really happens between Liam and Zayn.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter three. Mostly filler? Maybe. Lots of touching? Definitely- and hey, there's even a kiss.

Liam had managed to pull himself from his tormented thoughts decently quickly, and he offered a little smile to Zayn before he very obviously tried to change the subject. The prince didn't have it in him to make him continue explaining those horrid things, so he just let Liam guide the conversation away from them.

"So, why did you ask me if I can swim, Zayn?" He asked. 

Zayn released a little laugh. "I brought you to a pond, Liam, why do you think?" 

"Wouldn't you rather I stay on the shore?" Liam asked, a hint of concern to his words. "I doubt I'd be much good at protecting you from anything if I'm not ready for it."

"Protecting me from what? Nobody knows where we are, and the horses will let us know if anything comes around," Zayn said. 

Liam knew it wasn't a good idea, but he still couldn't bring himself to deny what Zayn wanted. He nodded after a moment and Zayn moved away from him to pad down the shoreline a little. Liam followed, undoing the buckles on his shield to pull it off, lying it face up on the ground so Zayn would have something to set his clothes on. 

The prince didn't seem to be shy at all as he began undressing, though Liam averted his gaze, staring down toward the ground until he heard the shifting of water. It didn't take long for Zayn to call to him, and Liam finally lifted his gaze, looking over the prince where he stood waist deep in the water, looking back at him as he lightly swished his fingers through the surface of the water. 

"Well, come on," Zayn said, tipping his head to gesture for Liam to join him. 

Trying not to let himself think too hard on it, Liam reached to undo his belt, leaning the sword against the shield before he reached to pull his shirt up and off. He paused at his bottoms though. He could see that Zayn had taken off everything, and he knew it wouldn't exactly be comfortable to walk or ride with soaked pants, but... did he really want to go swimming nude with Zayn?

Pushing the doubts to the side, Liam hooked his thumbs into the waistband of his pants to push them down and off, doing away with his underclothes as well before he crossed toward the edge of the water. It wasn't as cold as he had thought it might be, but then again it wasn't exactly warm either. He couldn't stop the shiver that slipped up his spine as he waded deeper into the water, crossing toward Zayn. 

It took him a moment to realize that Zayn hadn't moved, which made Liam believe that he had watched him undress and probably watched his trek into the water. He couldn't stop the flushed redness that rose over his face with that thought, and he looked down toward the water as he paused by Zayn's side in the waist deep shallows. 

There was a moment of silence before Zayn shifted. Liam heard the water move, and then he was being absolutely soaked as Zayn slapped at the surface of it, splashing him with the frigid liquid. Liam hissed, though he didn't have enough time to do much of anything before hands were at his shoulder and Zayn pushed at him.

The prince seemed almost put off as Liam barely even stumbled under the force he applied at his shoulder, and he pouted before he heard a deep sounding laugh. Looking up, Zayn caught sight of the grin on Liam's face and he could swear he stopped breathing. This had been the first time he'd heard him laugh, or seen a proper smile on his face. 

He had an amazing smile too and Zayn couldn't find it in himself to look away. The corners of Liam's eyes crinkled and his tongue pressed up behind his teeth, and it was the first time Zayn had seen him look so happy. Normally, those puppy eyes were fixed on the floor and Liam had a grim sort of look on his face, so it was nice to see him properly smile. 

Still though, Zayn just let out a playfully huffing breath, crossing his arms over his chest. "Of course you have to be built like a tree trunk," He sighed. 

Liam released another beautiful laugh, shaking his head. "It's not my fault that you're so slight, my prince," He commented. "I could let you push me around if that's what you wanted, but otherwise I doubt you'd be able to move me."

Zayn narrowed his eyes slightly at the challenge, though he didn't move to try again. If he managed to shift Liam now, he knew it would be because Liam had let him, and that wasn't quite as fun. Instead, he just turned to walk away, moving deeper into the water, lifting his arms as he went. 

Liam watched, a little perpetual smile on his face as Zayn got out to about chest depth before he stopped. He stayed where he was, and Liam moved to follow after him, passing by him once he got close enough. The cuffs weighed down his wrists and made it a little more difficult for Liam to swim, but he tried to ignore it. By the time he stopped, the water was well above his head, and there was no way he would be touching the bottom. 

Zayn just watched from where he was standing at the precipice of where the water deepened, not stepping forward to take his feet off the pond floor. Liam paused, tipping his head to the side a little. 

"Why don't you take your feet off the bottom?" 

The prince looked away, tilting his chin up in a sort of proud way. "I'm not the strongest swimmer." 

Moving to cross toward him, Liam had reached up automatically to make Zayn turn his head, though he pulled away before he could make any contact. "Do you want me to teach you, Zayn?" 

Those amber eyes moved to meet with his, and although it only took a moment for Zayn to nod, it was more than enough time for Liam to get lost in that gaze. Meeting the eyes of a mage could be dangerous, but here he was, absolutely lost in the prince's gaze, to the point where he didn't even realize that he had begun to lean in. A hand at his chest stopped him, and Liam snapped out of it, pulling away quickly to put some space between them. 

"Forgive me, my Lord." Liam tipped his head down quickly, breaking away from the eye contact. "I hadn't meant to offend you." 

"Offend me?" Zayn repeated, reaching up to gently slip his fingertips over Liam's jaw, trying to meet with his gaze again. 

Liam refused though, keeping his eyes cast down, until Zayn finally let out a breath. "Look at me."

Unable to disobey such a straightforward demand, Liam slowly raised his gaze slowly to meet with Zayn's, and the prince cupped his face, slipping his thumb across his cheek. "Why would you think that would offend me?" 

"I... I had a lapse of attention, my prince. Forgive me for getting too close." 

"You didn't answer my question," Zayn said gently, that soft hand still at Liam's cheek. 

Liam let out a soft breath. He should have known that Zayn wouldn't let him get away with such a vague reply. "It's not within my right to invade your space, nor could it ever be within my right to try to.... to try what I just did." 

"And that was?" Zayn seemed to be trying to get him to say the words, and Liam could feel his chest beginning to close up, his heart pounding against his ribcage. 

"I would've..." He paused, unable to keep away the anxiety that the confession was bringing to him. He forced himself to finish, even if he expected Zayn to be absolutely disgusted by him if he did. 

"I would've tried to kiss you." The words were soft, barely above a whisper, and although the touch at his cheek slipped away, that hand returned just at the back of his neck. 

"Do you know why I pushed you away?" 

Liam lowered his gaze, already more than well aware of why Zayn would have pushed him back. "You don't need someone as low as me trying to get in your space, my prince. I will keep my distance from now on." 

He would have stepped back with that too, but Zayn's hand was still at the back of his neck, and if Zayn didn't want him to move, he wouldn't. The prince just shook his head with a little smile, apparently amused by Liam's answer. 

"Liam, it has nothing to do with your status- it doesn't even have to do with you being a mage."

Liam would have asked what it was then, but he wasn't going to be so demanding to get answers out of Zayn. Besides, it seemed like he would give his reasoning anyways. 

"I just don't want to give you my first kiss- yet." 

He wasn't sure if it was the idea that Zayn hadn't even kissed anybody, or the 'yet' part that made Liam's heart skip a beat, but either way, it didn't much matter. Still, he stepped back finally, and Zayn's hand slipped away from him. 

Before he could say a word, Zayn was speaking again as he swished his hand through the water, splashing at Liam with a smile. "Relax, okay? Now, about this swimming thing...?"

\--

Liam had managed to move on from the slight awkwardness of the situation and at the moment he had one hand at Zayn's waist, holding him rather gently to keep him above the water. They were out in a deeper depth where Liam was trying to teach Zayn to tread water and keep himself calm even though he couldn't touch the bottom. The prince was doing rather well too, though Liam was pretty sure that was more because he was holding onto him than any real confidence. Each time he would try to release his hold, Zayn just seemed to sink, no matter how much he tried to keep above the surface. 

"I'd charm you to breathe underwater if I could," He commented before he could stop himself. 

Zayn looked up. "You can do that?" He asked, sounding a little breathless from the exercise. 

"Um... yeah, I-I could," Liam said before he lifted his arm out of the water. "Well, in theory." 

The prince glanced over the cuff for a moment before he moved to set his hand on Liam's shoulder, letting him bear most of his weight to hold him up. "Let's go back to the shore." 

He was still breathless, and Liam could understand how he might be tired from the exertion. Gently, he guided Zayn toward the shoreline, releasing his hold on him as they got to shallow enough water for Zayn to walk on his own. Liam just followed after him, averting his gaze as Zayn padded out of the water, walking after him. He reached to pick up his pants and underclothes, pulling them on with a soft breath. 

Zayn on the other hand just laid back into the grass, crossing his arms behind his head, apparently unbothered by his nudity. Liam moved to sit next to him, crossing his arms over his knees with a soft breath, tipping his head down. 

"I can dress if you're uncomfortable." 

Liam didn't look up as he answered. "It's alright, Zayn," He said softly. "You may of course, do whatever you please." 

Zayn shifted, his knee pressing lightly against Liam's bare side. "Look at me." 

He was hesitant to do so, but Liam tipped his head to the side soon enough, his gaze first catching sight of Zayn's always bare feet. He was slow to let his gaze trail over Zayn, tracing over the length of his legs. The further up he let his eyes move, the hotter his face became, a dark blush rising over his features as he took in every detail of that beautiful body. 

Zayn seemed relaxed, his hands laid against his stomach, and he had just a shadow of a smile on his face when Liam finally met with his gaze. "Do you want to touch me?"

Liam swallowed thickly, unable to deny that yes, he did want to touch the prince. His fingertips were basically itching with the desire. He opened his mouth to answer, but the words wouldn't come and he ended up just nodding. 

Reaching over, the prince placed a hand at Liam's wrist, and he let him pull his arm from where it was crossed over his knees. He shifted, moving to face Zayn as his palm was pressed to the smooth, warm skin of Zayn's chest. He let out a soft, slightly shaky breath as his fingers came in contact with him. 

Dragging his fingers over Zayn's chest, Liam didn't even notice that the prince had let go of him to let him wander on his own. He leaned down onto one elbow to get slightly more comfortable at Zayn's side. 

Liam let his fingertips trace over the soft protrusion of Zayn's collarbone and down the centre of his chest, his touch reverent and oh so gentle. Zayn was relaxed under the soft caress, even as Liam's palm smoothed over the flat plain of his stomach and fingertips traced over the light hair that trailed down his lower stomach from his navel. Liam couldn't stop himself from looking down, and he bit into his lip lightly as his fingers dipped into the patch of dark hair above his groin. 

"No further than that," Zayn murmured, soft enough that the words didn't pull Liam out of whatever 'trance' he was in. 

He still listened though, keeping his touch above Zayn's soft length as was requested of him. Lightly, he curled his fingers through the hair for a moment before he let his palm slip up and over Zayn's side in a slow caress. The prince released a soft, contented breath, honestly loving to have that large, warm hand on him. Usually nobody dared to touch him, and he'd never shared his bed with anybody, so he had honestly never felt anything like this. It was so much different from the feeling of his own hands when he had his moments of self pleasure in the dead of the night.

Zayn had closed his eyes with the soft caress, and it took him a moment to realize that Liam's movements had paused, and his thumb was slipping gently back and forth over his skin, just barely brushing at his nipple. He tipped his head, opening those eyes to look up at Liam, a question burning within them, but Liam spoke before he could ask. 

"I think it's best I stop this," He said softly, and Zayn couldn't deny the disappointment that moved through him as Liam pulled away, taking that warm hand with him as he rolled to lay on the grass a foot or so away from him. 

The prince closed his eyes for a moment, biting hard at the inside of his lip before he shifted to sit up. He leaned over to grab his clothes, pulling them into his lap before he threw Liam's shirt at him. "Get dressed, we're leaving."

Liam was quick to do as he was told, though he could tell that Zayn was agitated and it was completely his fault. He just hadn't wanted to push too far- as it was he had already nearly done something unforgivable in trying to take Zayn's first kiss. He knew that it wasn't within his right to touch the prince, and he shouldn't have even humored the idea that he could get away with it. Though just the simple act of caressing over that soft skin had been enough to put him at half mast, and he wasn't going to risk a full on erection in front of his Lord. He would die of embarrassment from being so easily excited.

He kept his gaze downcast as Zayn hurriedly dressed. The prince didn't give him a moment to pick up the rest of his stuff, and Liam found himself trying to buckle on the sword and shield as he followed after him. Zayn was up on his horse and already on the way by the time Liam had managed to seat himself into the saddle. This was bad. 

Honestly, Liam was so confused with everything that was happening. He had thought that Zayn might appreciate the respect for his personal space, but the prince seemed almost insulted by it. Pushing his mount into a quicker pace, Liam caught up with Zayn, matching with his horse's gait. 

"My Lord, Zayn, what have I done?" He just wanted to understand. 

"You're just like everybody else," Zayn said, and for whatever reason that comment made Liam's chest tighten just slightly. "Too afraid to treat me like I'm normal, as if I'm made of malachite- breakable and undeserving of anything but sitting on a shelf to be admired." 

Liam couldn't stop himself from reaching over, taking hold of Zayn's hand, which seemed to make the prince pause for a moment. "I hadn't meant any offense. It was for my own reasons that I removed my hands from you. I would have continued to your heart's content if you didn't have such an effect on me." 

"What effect?" 

He looked away with a soft breath, gently dragging his thumb over the back of Zayn's hand. "It seems that I can't control my body when I'm too close to you." 

Zayn frowned, confused for a moment before it seemed to dawn on him and a dark blush crossed his face. Clearing his throat, he looked away. "And... you believe that would have bothered me?" 

"You're worth more than something lewd to be ogled at, my prince. I apologize for pulling away too soon for you, but I didn't want to disrespect you." 

Letting out a little breath, Zayn held onto Liam a little tighter, tipping his head down a bit. "I apologize for my reaction," He said softly. "I hadn't realized your reasoning."

Liam wasn't sure where the confidence came from, but he lifted Zayn's hand to press a soft kiss to his knuckles. "You don't need to apologize," He assured. "I ruined the moment."

When he finally looked up, Zayn was staring at him, his eyes slightly wide, and he stopped his horse before Liam knew what was really going on. Thankfully- though he wasn't quick enough to gather his reins, his own mount had stopped just at the side of her companion. The two horses just stood together even as Zayn reached over to curl a hand in the front of Liam's shirt, pulling him close. 

Liam didn't try to stop Zayn from dragging him closer, though he did set his hand at the back of Zayn's saddle to keep himself from slipping right out of his seat. It took less than a second for Zayn's lips to find his, and although the kiss was little more than an extended press of their lips, Liam felt as though his heart was going to explode out of his chest. He wasn't sure if it was nervousness or something more that made him tighten his hand on the saddle, but the leather creaked lightly below his grip and Zayn pulled away. He looked down for a moment, trailing a soft caress down over Liam's bare arm, fingertips tracing over the tight protrusion of his knuckles. 

"Would you hold me as tightly?" Zayn asked, and Liam could swear he was going to choke on his own breath. 

"N-not without fear of hurting you," He said softly, forcing himself to relax his grip. 

Zayn noticed the change, and he tipped his head to press a little kiss to Liam's cheek before he released his hold on him. It took a long moment for Liam to lean back and sit up properly, and Zayn couldn't stop the little pleased smirk that crossed his face as he looked over the blush that was steadily rising over Liam's cheeks. The mage shifted, settling back into his seat with a soft breath, holding onto the reins maybe a little too tightly. 

"Why- what made you change your mind?" He asked, looking down toward the saddle as he picked lightly at the leather. 

Zayn smiled, pushing his horse into a smooth walk. "I let you put your hands all over me," He commented. "I'm sure that a simple kiss is more acceptable than that. Don't you think?"

Liam released a small, nervous sounding chuckle as his mount followed pace with Zayn's. "That's fair," He commented, still looking down at the saddle between his thighs. "Still though, are you sure you won't regret giving it to a- t-to me?" 

"To a mage?" Zayn completed, saying what Liam couldn't. "You're no different than anyone else. In fact, you may even be more respectable." 

He couldn't help but scoff, snorting out a humorless little laugh. "More respectable?" He repeated disbelievingly. 

Zayn released a little breath, reaching over to lightly drag a little caress over Liam's jaw. "It may have been... beaten into you that you're lesser than everyone else, but I've never met a 'normal' person that was like you. Believe me, my father has tried." 

Liam wanted to ask what he meant by that, but he knew that he shouldn't pry too much into Zayn's personal life. It wasn't his place, nor his business to ask such things. He just followed after Zayn silently, not bothering to comment on anything he had said. Liam didn't believe a word of it, but if it was what Zayn wanted to believe, he wasn't going to try to change his mind. He would be a fool to try to convince Zayn that he wasn't worth anything- especially not the prince's attention.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope this chapter was to your liking. I honestly still think it's mostly filler. Though there is a little more character development and some more unanswered questions thrown into the mix. 
> 
> Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoy it so far.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter four! This one actually sort of answers a couple of questions- and raises a new sort of hell. I apologize in advance 
> 
> ~Enjoy! ^-^

Days had passed since their little 'tryst' by the water and Zayn hadn't said a word about it. Things had gone right back to how they had been before the excursion, and although Liam sort of missed being able to touch, he knew that Zayn had to be careful. At least he was still allowed to call the prince by his name in private. 

Tugging his shirt off, Liam glanced at Zayn, who was already asleep in bed, a peaceful look on the part of his face that Liam could see that wasn't pressed into the plush down feather filled pillow. Liam had spread out his blankets as he usually would and had already checked the fire and the door, so he just moved to lay down, letting out a soft breath. 

For some reason, he had trouble falling asleep. He couldn't say how many minutes he laid there with his eyes closed, but sleep just wouldn't come to him. He heard Zayn let out a breath before there was a slight creak of the bed frame and the heavy sound of the blankets being thrown back. Liam just stayed where he was, even as Zayn stepped right overtop of him to cross the room toward the door. 

Liam couldn't help but be concerned that Zayn seemed to be going somewhere without him, but the worry was quickly wiped away as Zayn simply slid the lock on the door into place before he turned around to return to bed. He paused, standing sort of overtop of him and Liam couldn't help but wonder if he was going to try to wake him or something. 

It took a couple moments for Zayn to just step over him again before he returned to bed, pulling the warm blankets overtop of himself. There was silence for all but a few seconds before Zayn released another breath, this one much heavier and less tired sounding. Liam honestly couldn't say what was happening until the softest of moans split through the quiet of the room. 

Squeezing his eyes closed, Liam tipped his head down as he did his best to try not to picture what Zayn was doing right now. It was difficult though, to keep himself from thinking of those thin, nimble fingered hands touching at Zayn in a way that Liam could only wish he could. He found that he had to open his eyes though, to keep his mind from conjuring those treacherous images. 

He listened to another breathless moan and then- wait, had Zayn just said his name? Part of him- the blindly obedient part wanted to sit up in answer, but he forced himself to stay still, aware that he could ruin Zayn's moment. He could tell that the prince was trying to keep quiet, though he was beginning to pant and he seemed to be loosing track of just how loud he might be.

Automatically, Liam slipped a hand down his stomach, fiddling lightly with the waistband of his pants. He tried not to think too much on what he was about to do as he slipped his hand into the fabric, his eyes slipping closed as he wrapped that hand around the engorged flesh of his penis. His movements were unpractised and sort of choppy, but it was more than enough to get him going. Another airy little moan of his name had Liam squeezing tighter as he finally let himself picture the prince, and what he was sure Zayn wanted. 

He would want Zayn above him, thighs spread to accommodate Liam's hips as he rode down onto him, hands pressed firmly into Liam's chest. It took little more than that, and Liam had to bite hard into his bottom lip to stay quiet as he found his orgasm entirely too soon. Not that it mattered. Liam hadn't touched himself since long before the hunts had begun, and he hadn't really thought he would ever have the energy to do it again. It would make at least a bit of sense that he might not have the stamina to last at all. 

He had forgotten though, how good an orgasm could make him feel. It was honestly amazing to feel that absolute bliss and relaxation that came with the release of so much pent up frustration. He perked up a little bit as Zayn released one last quiet little whine of his name, and the bed frame squeaked lightly. 

Liam could nearly picture the prince, back arched up and his mouth fallen open into a soft little 'o' as he came undone, one hand wrapped around the length of him. Part of him wanted to try to imagine those fingers somewhere else, but he'd get himself going all over again if he did that. It was best that he just tried to sleep. As much as he wanted to sit up and crawl onto that bed with Zayn, he would be better off staying right where he belonged. The blankets above him shifted, and Liam just knew that Zayn was rolling over to probably go back to sleep. 

He didn't expect to feel a soft hand on his shoulder and although most of him wanted to roll over and look up toward Zayn, to see him all relaxed and flushed with the after glow of pleasure, he just stayed where he was. He was too curious of Zayn's intentions to really even think of moving. That gentle hand shifted, caressing over his bicep and underneath the blanket to take hold of his, fingers slotting between his own. Liam couldn't stop himself from giving a little squeeze, and Zayn paused for a moment. 

"You're awake." It wasn't a question. 

"Yeah," Liam breathed, lightly dragging his thumb over the length of Zayn's.

"So, you heard all of that?" 

Zayn sounded almost embarrassed, but Liam just gave his hand another squeeze. "It's nothing to be ashamed of, my prince." 

He heard a little breath before there was a little tug to his hand. "Come up here." 

Liam honestly wasn't sure if he should, but he couldn't deny such a request. Shifting to sit up, Liam let Zayn pull him into the bed with him, slipping underneath the covers with the prince. He was almost surprised with just how comfortable the bed was, but then again he knew that Zayn had nothing but the best. He laid next to Zayn on his side, facing the prince, their hands still entwined together between them. 

"Kiss me," Zayn said softly, pressing Liam's hand against his chest, wanting the closeness. 

Liam wasn't really the type to initiate much of anything, but he still leaned in. Zayn met him somewhere near the middle and their lips pressed together in a soft kiss. The prince let out a soft breath, closing his eyes as he pressed a little further into the kiss, one hand slipping up into Liam's hair. It was just a soft little thing, one of only a few that they had shared, but it still left Liam nearly breathless. 

Zayn was the first to break from it, and he took hold of Liam's hand to pull him closer, having him wrap his arm around his middle. Liam draped his arm over Zayn's waist as the prince directed, tipping his head down as Zayn curled against his chest, cuddling up against him. Closing his eyes, Liam tightened his arm around Zayn a little, holding him close. 

The prince leaned against him, one hand pressing against Liam's chest, his arms folded between them comfortably. He released a soft breath, obviously quite comfortable in Liam's embrace. It certainly didn't take him long to fall asleep anyways. 

\--

When the next morning rolled around, Liam woke to the sound of someone trying the door. His eyes flicked open and he would have sat up if he didn't have a weight lying on his chest. He was on his back, Zayn laid across him, more on top of him than on the bed. The door handle rattled again and there was a quite soft knock and Liam couldn't help but begin to panic a little. He didn't want to wake Zayn up- it was entirely too early for that, but he knew that he had to open the door. 

As delicately as he could manage, Liam reached to gently shift Zayn to push him off. He was so careful not to wake the prince as he untangled himself from the mess of limbs to slip out of the bed. He took a moment to tuck the blankets back around Zayn, who snuggled deeper down into the mattress. Liam crossed the room quickly, throwing on his shirt before he slid the lock back to open the door. 

"Sorry," He breathed, stepping back to give a couple of servants enough room to come in. 

There were a handful of them, one with their breakfast on a large platter and the rest had towels and buckets of steaming water for Zayn's bath that morning. Liam crossed the room to pick up his sword to sling it around his hips, beginning to fold up his blankets to push them under the bed, being ever so alert as to where everyone in the room was. 

One- a middle aged man- got a little too close to the end of the bed. Liam knew that he was probably just checking to be sure that Zayn hadn't been disturbed by the sound of the water as the buckets were emptied as quietly as possible into the tub, but he still didn't like it. He set his hand on the hilt of his sword, shifting to sort of put himself between the prince and the man, shaking his head. 

"Don't," He said quietly, a firm sort of edge to his quite tone. "You're getting too close." 

The man raised his hands and stepped back, though Liam still didn't relax. He stood just at the foot of the bed, his back facing the wall so he could see everyone in the room and what they were doing. He didn't relax from his protective stance either- at least not until everyone had left the room, and he was alone again with the prince. He followed the last person out of the room, closing and locking the door behind them before he let out a soft breath. 

It was time now to wake Zayn, even though Liam wasn't wearing his armor like he was supposed to be before he got Zayn up. Still though, he knew that he couldn't just wake Zayn late. Crossing back to the bed, Liam leaned to gently try to wake the prince. 

"Zayn? My Lord?" He murmured softly, letting himself gently caress over Zayn's cheek. "It's time to wake up." 

Zayn shifted slightly with a little groan, and Liam drew a hand gently through his hair. "Would you like your bath or your breakfast first?"

A little groan met the words, and Zayn turned to bury his face in the pillow, rolling onto his stomach. "Bath," He mumbled, the word barely intelligible.

He didn't move to get up though, and once a few long moments had passed, Liam was pretty sure he had just gone right back to sleep. Biting his lip as a rather forward and strangely confident thought crossed his mind, Liam just let himself move. Shifting to kneel on the bed, Liam leaned down over Zayn, his hands pressing into the mattress on either side of the prince as he leaned close enough to purr softly into Zayn's ear. 

"Zayn..." 

He shifted, and Liam noticed his lashes flutter lightly as he released a little breath, though he kept his eyes closed.

"Come on, Zayn," Liam breathed, lifting one hand to pull the blanket away from Zayn's face and down over his bare shoulder. 

He tipped his head down, noticing the way a little muscle in Zayn's jaw tightened just slightly as he pressed a kiss to the bare expanse of the back of the prince's shoulder. Fingertips slipped over the back of his hand where he had pressed it back into the bed and Liam lifted it, flipping it over to let Zayn's fingers slot between his to hold tightly to him. 

"Your bath is going to get cold, Zayn," Liam breathed, noticing goosebumps flare up over the back of the prince's neck and down his shoulder where the warmth of his breath washed over the soft skin. 

He hadn't realized that Zayn had moved until a hand wrapped into the fabric of his shirt, fingers clutching tightly to pull at him, and Liam wasn't sure why he followed the tugging to press his weight quite lightly against Zayn's back. The prince still hadn't said a word other than the one, but the way he pushed himself up into Liam gave him a pretty good idea of what was going through his mind. 

Their hips fit together, the curve of Zayn's backside pushing up against Liam in a rather provocative way as that curled hand against his side kept pressure on him to hold him where he was. This wasn't quite what Liam had been trying to do with this, and he couldn't stop the blush that flared across his face as he immediately felt a rush of warmth flood through his lower stomach. 

"Zayn...?" He couldn't keep the slight waver out of his tone as he spoke, and Zayn's hand shifted against his side. 

Fingertips dug lightly into his hip as if to guide him down against Zayn, but he never managed to get that far. A sharp knock at the door made Zayn jump, and Liam sucked in a breath as the jolt pressed him directly back into him, pressing him so firmly against the- mostly- soft length of him. Finally, Zayn lifted his head, turning to look toward the door before he released his hold on Liam.

"Go see," He said, his tone still gravelly with sleep, though there was a slight edge to his voice that Liam didn't quite recognize. 

As Liam got up off the bed, Zayn shifted to sit up, letting out a breath as he moved to run both hands through his hair. Well, that certainly hadn't gone where he had honestly been hoping it might. He looked up as he heard the door unlock and Liam had to quickly step out of the way to avoid being smacked with it as it was pushed rather roughly open. 

A haughty looking woman stepped through, sending Liam a distasteful look before she walked in without so much as a word, crossing toward Zayn. 

"Why are you still in bed?" 

"I was just getting up," Zayn commented, obviously not very pleased with the appearance of his sudden and rather rude guest. 

Liam just stared, unable to believe that somebody would have the audacity to address Zayn in such a way. The woman just shook her head with a sneer and a scoff. 

"Well get up! And make yourself presentable!"

"I've yet to take my bath," Zayn said, narrowing his eyes slightly. "What do you want?" 

"Not me. His Majesty wishes to see you- at the soonest possible convenience. Bring your..." She paused to turn back and pin Liam with a withering glare, those cold eyes flicking down to the shackles around his wrists, her lip curling in obvious disgust. "Pet."

"Tell my father that I will see him as soon as I've bathed and had my breakfast- and that my personal guardsman will accompany me."

There was obviously some animosity between Zayn and whoever this woman was and Liam didn't like it one bit. She had absolutely no right to talk to Zayn like that. She glared at Zayn for a moment before she turned on her heel to leave the room, closing the door behind herself hard enough that it bounced off the doorframe before it had time to latch shut. 

Liam set a hand against it, closing it gently before he turned to look at Zayn, concern written all over his face. The prince was already up on his feet though, and crossing the room toward the door to the bathing room. He closed the door behind him and Liam bit hard into his bottom lip as he heard the lock slide home. 

Unsure of what else to do, Liam just padded across the room to begin putting on his armor, making sure each piece was absolutely impeccable before he strapped it in place. He checked the fire, made the bed and even set out some rather extravagant clothes for Zayn before the prince exited the bathroom. He was stood at the foot of the bed as usual, his hands folded behind his back and his head tipped up in as proud of a manner as he could manage. 

Soft footsteps crossed the carpet, and a gentle caress slipped over Liam's cheek as Zayn passed by him to begin pulling on the clothes he had set out for him. He relaxed just slightly with the soft touch, glad that Zayn didn't seem too terribly bothered. The prince crossed to the breakfast tray, taking the domed top off of it to look over everything that was there. It didn't seem like he had much of an appetite, but he still made a plate for Liam, and one for himself before he moved to sit on the bed. 

Liam shifted to cross toward the chair by the desk, but Zayn stopped him. "Sit with me." 

He didn't have it in him to deny, and Liam moved to sit on the edge of the bed, a little surprised when Zayn moved to lean against him lightly, avoiding the angles of the plate metal Liam was wearing. He set his plate against his thigh, part of it resting on Liam as well as he began to eat. 

Liam didn't say a word, he just let Zayn lean on him, aware that he was seeking comfort of some kind. He didn't know what to do though, so he just began to eat as well, finishing up before the prince did, as usual. Zayn let him get up to set his plate onto the tray and have a drink before he stood up as well. He deposited his still half full plate on the platter gracelessly, letting out a breath. 

"Let's go."

The walk through the palace seemed to take forever. Zayn was tense and Liam was worried over what was going to happen. They were heading deeper into the huge castle, toward the centre of it to where it finally opened up into a wide hallway that had a set of double doors at the end, two guards standing on either side of them. They stepped to open the door before they reached it, and Zayn padded through with Liam close behind him. 

He walked down the long, pillared room, bare feet hardly making a noise on the thick carpet as he walked toward a small group of people at the other end. A pretty, middle aged woman sat in what Liam could only describe as a throne, her hands busy weaving something in her lap, next to her sat a man who Liam just knew was Zayn's father. He could feel his heart trying to crawl up his throat as they drew nearer and the same woman from before- who was now standing by the queen's side glared absolute venom at him. Next to the king was his own personal guard who stood tall and proud, clad in heavy looking golden armor right from his helmet which covered all but his eyes to his boots, which were covered in that same heavy looking plate metal. 

Zayn paused just at the bottom of a short set of steps that went up to the two thrones, bowing lightly at the waist, gesturing for Liam who moved up next to him and took a knee, fixing his gaze on the floor. When Zayn stood straight, Liam stood to take a step backward, folding his hands behind his back, holding his head up, though keeping his eyes cast toward the floor. 

"You called for me, father?" Zayn asked, sounding so much stiffer and more careful of what he was saying than Liam had ever heard from him. 

"So, this is what you've chosen." 

Zayn grit his teeth together tightly for a moment, forcing a smile to his face. "Yes, father, this is Liam he's-"

"A mage." 

"And a skilled swordsman," Zayn defended. Liam had been training daily since he had been chosen and he had picked it up surprisingly quickly and easily with the least amount of direction. 

Liam bowed lightly at the waist with the praise, wordlessly setting a hand against is chest before he straightened. 

"Come here boy." 

Zayn stiffened, but he still reached out, pushing lightly at Liam to get him to step forward. He ascended the few steps to the throne, again taking a knee once he was just in front of the seat. He heard more than saw the creak of leather as the king's guard tightened his hand on his sword automatically, obviously not trusting Liam in the slightest. 

"Present your shackles." 

This was something Liam had heard before and without a second thought, he raised both hands, his head bowed and eyes closed, his hands loose and directed downward in as non threatening a manner as he could manage. A rough hand grasped his arm in a too tight grip, fingers spinning the shackle around his wrist to look over each and every one of the runes without being faced with his palm, not caring that they were made to only fit one way and spinning them made the metal press painfully into the protruding bones of his wrist. 

He squeezed his eyes tighter closed, biting hard into the back of his lip as pain shot down the side of his arm. The king eventually settled that cuff back into place before he reached for the other, giving it the same treatment. By the time he had finished, Liam had raw red marks all the way around his wrists and pain was still radiating through his bones. 

"What sort of 'magic'-" It was said with a tone as if it left a bad taste in the king's mouth. "Did you use?"

"Natural magic, your Majesty," Liam replied timidly. "Manipulation of the elements."

"What other sort of manipulation did you do?" 

"Father-" Zayn tried to come to his rescue, but the king merely held up a hand to him, cutting him off right there. 

"What other sorts?" He repeated. 

"N-nothing, your Majesty. I never disturbed the void nor walked in anyone's mind."

"Ser Bastian!" 

Liam stiffened. He knew that name. 

Footsteps crossed the room, an oh so familiar ring of metal forcing a shiver up Liam's spine. The footsteps paused just by him. 

"You put the shackles on this one yourself, didn't you?" 

Fingertips slipped through Liam's hair before a hand curled through the locks to force his head back and his eyes met with the gaze that he swore would give him nightmares for the rest of his life. There was a smirk on the face above him, and Liam froze as the man's thumb slid across his temple. Zayn watched, feeling his heart break a little as Liam absolutely cowered beneath the man, a look of absolute horror in those puppy eyes. 

"That I did, your grace. He's not a danger. He didn't put up much of a fight- couldn't have been any older than seventeen when my party caught up with him and his group. He was just beginning to harness his power- he's got no clue how to use it." 

"Then he's safe to be around my son?" 

"He won't be able to hurt him, if that's what you're asking, your grace," Ser Bastian commented, looking down toward Liam with a sick sort of smirk.

Liam was too terrified to notice footsteps cross to him, but then Ser Basian's hand was slapped away from him, and Zayn was pulling him to his feet. "This is highly uncalled for," He hissed, moving back as he led Liam down the steps. "Liam has been nothing but protective and loyal to me. If the only reason you called me here was to harass my personal guard-"

"There is another reason," The king commented, waving Ser Bastian away with a flick of his wrist. 

He padded down the steps, passing close by Liam with another smirk that Zayn absolutely hated him for. The soft ringing of metal was heard again as the man walked away and the prince turned for a moment. There, at his hip, looped into a tight coil was a whip with wicked looking blades on the ends that clinked together lightly as he walked. Zayn didn't have time to do anything though, as his father was speaking again and he was forced to look back toward him. 

"There's someone I want you to meet, Zayn," The king said, gesturing. 

From the side of the room where Zayn knew another door was, a pretty blonde girl walked quietly out into the room, her hands folded together tightly in front of her stomach. 

"Father-"

"Not this time, Zayn. I'm aware of your... preference-" The king shot Liam a distasteful look with that, but since his gaze was obediently fixed on the floor, he completely missed it. "I'm not asking you to marry her, but you will make a child- whether you want to or not."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aw, what's the poor little prince supposed to do? And Liam... my heart breaks for him.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, now you'll know who she is- I hope you don't hate me for it lol.

The moment he had been back in private behind a locked door after they had been allowed to leave the throne room, Zayn had thrown an absolute fit. Liam had never seen him lose his composure and get so upset like that. 

"How dare he?!" The sound of the metal platter hitting the floor made Liam wince- or maybe it was the raised tone of Zayn's voice, either way, he didn't like this. 

"I refuse! How dare he?! I will not bed that wench just because he says so!"

"Zayn..." Liam tried gently, though the prince wasn't paying any attention to him. 

"You will make a child-" Zayn mocked with a disgusted scoff. "I will not! It should b-be my choice!"

Liam's eyes widened at the break in Zayn's voice and before he could stop himself, he crossed the room, wrapping both arms around the prince, who immediately curled against him, resting his forehead against the cool metal of his cuirass. His nails dragged along the smooth steel, looking for some sort of purchase and finding none. Liam reached up with one hand to begin undoing the buckles of the armor. Zayn pushed the pauldrons off his shoulders, the steel hitting the carpeted floor with a muted thud as those nimble fingers moved to fiddle with the thick belt that kept his sword in place. 

Liam removed the cuirass and although he knew he should have more respect, he just let it fall away from him, depositing it onto the floor. The sword followed a moment later and he let Zayn push at the greaves to push them down far enough that Liam could get them off as well- until he was left in nothing but his soft undershirt and a comfortable pair of breeches. 

Zayn took hold of his hand, pulling him toward the bed and Liam didn't even think on it this time as he moved to lay with the prince. Zayn wrapped both arms around him tightly, burying his face into his chest as he just took some comfort from Liam's closeness and those strong arms around his waist. 

"My Lord," Liam breathed, reaching up with one hand to slip his fingers through Zayn's hair gently. "Tell me of your mother?" 

It was obvious that he was trying to take his attention off the whole situation and Zayn honestly sort of appreciated it. His mother had stayed quiet- though he hadn't expected much else. She respected and loved his father entirely too much to go against anything he might say. 

"She's like you," Zayn finally said, the words a little muffled against Liam's chest. "Quiet and thoughtful, loyal to a fault. She loves my father more than she ever loved anything. I yearn to one day have someone love me like that. To look at me as if I were the most precious, most desirable thing in their world. Like nothing else compares."

Liam stayed silent, closing his eyes as he lightly leaned is chin on the top of Zayn's head, letting him continue. He told Liam softly of a few times in his youth when his mother had been happier and his father had been a little less hardened. When things had been better and they would take family trips and go on picnics and everything else. It seemed like such a happy time for Zayn, though Liam couldn't help but feel bad that it seemed those times were gone. 

"This isn't the first time he's done this," Zayn breathed, so much calmer now thanks to Liam's soft touches and the light conversation. "He's tried to get me to marry multiple times before. First, there was a girl who was entirely too physical- she always wanted me to bed her. I was only eighteen at the time and she honestly sort of intimidated me- I cut that one short right quick. There was another one, named Perrie- the youngest daughter of a duke from the next kingdom over. I actually almost married her..."

Liam couldn't stop the way his jaw tightened slightly with that idea. If Zayn had been married and if he had a wife right now, Liam certainly wouldn't be in this position. In fact, there was a good chance that he would still be in that camp, under the heel of Ser Bastian and the agony of his whip. 

"There have been others that he's presented me with," Zayn continued, as if he hadn't even noticed Liam's tension. "All sorts of girls that he wanted me to marry and then... then I told him that I like men. It had been in the heat of the moment where he had been insisting that if I didn't marry I would never inherit the throne and it would instead be given to Desmun- his illigitimate son with my mother's handmaiden."

"Is that- that's the one that was here this morning, right?" 

"Yeah, Priscilla. She's a right old hag that one, but she's sickeningly sweet to my father and he seems to enjoy it."

Liam understood then, why that woman had such a problem with Zayn. If it wasn't for him, her son would be next in line for the throne. It made perfect sense- but it was also still entirely uncalled for. 

"My father had been understandably outraged with the news, though I had thought for a while there that he would just accept it and move on, but no- he's going to make me take a concubine and have a child with her. I don't even know what I'm doing, how am I supposed to make a baby? Have you ever?"

"Had children? No," Liam replied softly. "Though I have bedded a few women."

"What's it like?" Zayn lifted his head from Liam's chest to look up at him. 

Liam didn't miss the unsure look in Zayn's eyes, and a little frown crossed his face. Reaching up, Liam gently caressed over Zayn's cheek, letting out a soft breath. 

"It's... not as difficult as you might think it would be. It's messy though, girls tend to get rather... wet." 

Zayn wrinkled his nose lightly, tipping his forehead against Liam's chest again. "Is there anything I need to do first?" 

"Well, it might help if you kiss her, or at least touch her first," Liam commented with a slight little laugh. "It's alright if you ask her what she would like from you. It'll make it easier on both of you." 

The prince sighed, closing his eyes as he lightly began to hit his forehead against Liam's chest, obviously bothered by the whole thing. "I don't... Liam, I don't want her to be my first." 

Liam bit his lip, slipping his hand up over Zayn's side. "She doesn't have to be," He breathed.

Lifting his head, Zayn looked up to meet with Liam's gaze. Those golden amber eyes flicked down toward his mouth and nearly before he could realize, Zayn's lips were on his. He couldn't stop the way his hands tightened on Zayn to press him close against himself. The prince shifted to wrap his arms around Liam's neck, pulling back from the kiss with a little inhale as he felt the warmth of Liam's tongue against his bottom lip. 

Liam didn't falter though. Reaching up, he cupped Zayn's cheek gently to pull him back into the kiss and this time, Zayn let him deepen it. Slipping his tongue past those soft lips, Liam gently coaxed him into the kiss, not minding his inexperience as Zayn tried to follow along with his slow movements. Fingers curled into the back of his shirt and Zayn pressed more firmly against him, though the kiss didn't last for much longer. 

He pulled away, his breathing a little heavy in the small space between them. "I..."

"It's alright, Zayn," Liam said gently, lightly caressing his hand up and down over Zayn's side. "We have time." 

\--

Zayn was stiff and obviously nervous as he moved to take a seat at the table. It was the first meal Liam had ever seen him take outside of his room, but apparently it was necessary tonight. Liam had already eaten, and was again clad in that heavy, steel plate armor, standing by Zayn's chair. He had his hands clasped together in front of his stomach, his head tipped up as proudly as he could manage, eyes trailing over the room in his usual always alert fashion. 

The door opened and that same blonde from before padded into the room, seeming nervous about this. She walked to the table and sat down across from Zayn with a soft breath, reaching up to curl a lock of that long blonde hair around her fingers as she looked over the table and the food spread on it. Liam tried not to be too bothered by this and the awkwardness in the room as he just stood by Zayn. 

The girl never said a word, and it was obvious that she wasn't sure what to say at all. Finally, it was Zayn that broke the silence, tapping his fork lightly on the edge of his plate. 

"So..."

The girl looked up with the sound of his voice, a little blush crossing her face. 

"What's uh... who's your family?" Zayn asked, wanting to know who she was affiliated with and what made her so important that his father would even suggest that she would be good enough to bear his child. 

"Uh..." 

Honestly, Liam rolled his eyes just slightly at the surprised little sound she released, as if she had thought Zayn should just automatically know who she was. 

"My father is Ser Mohamed Hadid," She replied softly, looking down at her plate, again curling her fingers around her hair. "He's an Earl and owns the largest piece of property in the kingdom- b-besides yours of course."

Aha, someone with money and status. Zayn supposed his father could have made a worse choice, but then again- he could have just left well enough alone and left him to his own devices. He couldn't deny that the girl was pretty, if a little meek and somewhat too quiet. Then again, that could just be because she was only just meeting him, and some people got a little nervous around royalty. 

He wouldn't mind if she was truly quiet though. He would rather that than having her all over him, or chatting his ear off. As far as he was concerned, she was here to conceive, and that was about it. 

"So, what's your name?"

"Jelena," She replied. "But, most people call me Gigi."

Zayn nodded slightly, looking down toward his plate. 

"Can I call you by your name?" She asked, and Zayn was well aware that she already knew what his name was. 

"I suppose," He commented with another little nod. 

Liam grit his teeth together, hating that she would have the audacity to ask that within the first few minutes of speaking with Zayn. She hadn't shown him nearly the amount of respect that he deserved, but Liam couldn't say anything about it. He just had to stay silent and stand there listening to her awkwardly trying to get to know the prince. 

As the conversation continued and Jelena settled into it a little easier, she seemed to open up. Liam hated those smiles and the way she batted her eyelashes at Zayn. He stood with an impassive expression on his face until she finally brought attention to him. 

"Does he... have to stand there like that?" 

Zayn glanced up toward Liam, meeting his gaze for a moment. "Yes," He said, looking back toward the blonde. "He's my personal guard. He's supposed to be in my presence at all times."

"All times?" She asked, raising an eyebrow, and Liam hated the implication behind those words. 

"He spends his every waking moment by my side, and sleeps next to my bed during the night." 

Other than last night. Liam kept his expression impassive as he just listened though, not bothering to correct Zayn on anything. It wasn't his place to say such things or to bring anything from Zayn's personal life to light. 

"But, doesn't that bother you? He won't be there while we're together, will he?" 

"No, it does not bother me, and you and I won't be together often enough for his presence to become bothersome for you either- believe me."

Jelena seemed to withdraw with that, casting her gaze down to the table as she played lightly with her food, pushing it back and forth on her plate. Zayn sighed, moving to push his chair back from the table, obviously done with this. The blonde looked up with the movement, a little frown crossing her face. 

"Will you come to my room?" She asked. 

Zayn paused, seeming to think it over for a moment, even though Liam was aware that he already knew his answer. "Not tonight. Sleep well." 

He didn't say anything more than that, he just turned to leave the room with Liam close on his heels, stopping by the kitchen to pick up a couple of bottles of strong mead. He brought them with him back to his room, and Liam locked the door as he was directed to, crossing the room toward Zayn. The prince sat onto the bed, pulling the cork out of one of the bottles to lean back against the pile of pillows against the headboard of the bed, taking a swig from the bottle. 

"Take off that armor, and come here," Zayn said, gesturing for Liam. 

He did his best to take the armor off as quickly as he could, setting the pieces onto the dresser as he took each one off. He knew that Zayn was watching him, and once he had finished, he padded across the room to the bed. Zayn pulled him onto the mattress, and once Liam had settled next to him, he leaned against his side. 

He set the bottle against Liam's thigh, shifting to drape his arm over his chest once Liam had lifted the bottle to take a drink from it. Liam settled his arm around Zayn's waist as the prince laid against his shoulder, taking another drink from the bottle. He wasn't sure exactly what Zayn had in mind, but as long as the prince was laid against his chest like this, he wouldn't much care what they got up to. 

It wasn't long before they had finished off that bottle, and Zayn reached over Liam to pick up the other one off the floor. He was already feeling pleasantly warm and comfortable thanks to the alcohol settling into his system, and Liam's warm palm resting on his hip. Liam reached to pop the cork out of the bottle with his free hand, and Zayn lifted it to his lips to take a swig from it. 

"When we have sex, I want you to hold onto me tightly. I want bruises of your fingertips," Zayn said, reaching down to place his hand on top of Liam's. "I want her to see them."

Liam shifted, pulling up the hem of Zayn's shirt to slip his hand over the bare skin of his side. "Yeah?" His eyes were half closed and his face was a little flushed from the drinking. It was so obvious that he was getting to the point of having a bit too much. "You want her to know?"

"Yes," Zayn responded, his words slurring just slightly as he held the bottle up for Liam to take. 

He wrapped his hand around the neck of it, lifting it up to his lips to take a deep drink from it. "You think she'll be jealous?" He asked once he had lowered the bottle from his mouth. "That you want me more than you could ever want her?"

"I don't care. I want her to see your marks and know that you've had me first. I don't like the way she was talking about you- like you didn't deserve to be with me all the time." 

"She probably thinks she's more deserving," Liam commented, handing the bottle over to Zayn before he wrapped that arm around him as well, setting that warm palm against his shoulder to hold him closer. 

Zayn let out a little sigh, lifting the bottle toward Liam's mouth. He didn't want him to take either of his hands off of him, so he just held the bottle up for him, letting him take a drink from it. He shifted a little, taking another drink for himself before he leaned over to set the mostly empty bottle onto the desk by the bed. 

He laid against Liam's chest again, slipping his fingertips up over his arm to take hold of his hand, pressing a couple little kisses to the pads of his fingers. He could feel the way Liam's arm tightened around his waist a little as he looked up to meet with Liam's gaze, those soft lips continuing to press little kisses to his fingers. 

"I want you to take me hard," He said against the digits. "I don't ever want to forget what it's like to have you inside of me."

Liam was calm and quiet, just watching what Zayn was doing, watching the movement of those lips against his fingertips. "You won't," He promised. "If I had it my way, I'd be inside you every single day." 

Zayn had paused with those words, and Liam gently traced his fingertips over the prince's lip, meeting with his gaze. "You would want that?"

"Of course I would," Liam breathed, slipping his hand up over Zayn's side. "You had me so on edge this morning. I would gave taken you right then and there if we'd had the time. 

"I wanted it," Zayn breathed, releasing his hold on Liam's hand to press his palm against his chest. "I wanted you so badly. I was so upset that you had been interrupted- you were so close to getting hard for me." 

Liam felt that hand slip down over his stomach, and he tensed a little as it moved to cup his soft length through the light breeches he was wearing. He couldn't stop himself from spreading his legs a little, pushing his thighs further apart to give Zayn more space to touch him even though he reached down to take hold of Zayn's wrist. 

"Wait-"

"You want me though, don't you?" Zayn asked, rubbing his palm slowly over Liam's slowly, though steadily hardening length. 

"Ah~ yes, I want you so much, but..." Liam couldn't stop himself from letting out a little groan as Zayn continued rubbing on him. "But I don't want to be drunk for it."

Zayn paused with that, biting his lip as he moved his hand finally, hitching Liam's shirt up to slip his palm over his bare stomach. "Why does it make a difference?"

"I don't want to hurt you," Liam breathed, tipping his head back as he released a relieved little sigh, closing his eyes. "And I want to remember it." 

The prince moved to settle against his side once again, leaning his head against Liam's chest. "Would it mean that much to you?" 

"Wouldn't it mean that much to you?" He asked, lightly tipping his jaw against the top of Zayn's head. 

The prince was quiet for a moment and even with how drunk Liam was, he still couldn't help but worry that he had perhaps overstepped some sort of boundary, but then Zayn just snuggled close into his side.

"You're going to take my virginity, Liam," The prince mumbled. "It means everything to me." 

He lifted his head to press a soft kiss to Liam's cheek, reaching up to gently caress over his jaw. Liam relaxed with him, holding him tighter against his side as he tipped his head to press into a proper kiss. The prince tasted of honey and alcohol, and his mouth was as soft as ever against Liam's. He wasn't surprised at all to find himself a mere few moments later with Zayn draped over his chest, their lips meeting and parting in soft little kisses.

Eventually, Zayn pulled away though, moving to lay his head against Liam's chest. "'M tired," He mumbled. 

Liam slipped one hand up and down over Zayn's back, the other moving up into his hair. "Go to sleep, my prince," Liam said gently. "I'll wake you in the morning."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And of course it ends with plenty of cuddles and a minor cliffhanger. Next chapter up very soon.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry this took so long! And sorry it's slightly shorter than the other chapters. I promise the next chapter will be better!

Zayn had refused to bring up the night before with Liam, and he was growing more and more concerned with his silence. They'd had a quiet breakfast and an even quieter morning and though Liam wanted to try to talk about it, he didn't want to push any boundaries. Zayn didn't seem all that comfortable anyways, and Liam was pretty sure he had a headache for most of the morning, so it made sense that he might not want to talk or really do anything. 

Other than when he ate- which he only did because Liam had given him a plate- he spent entirely too much time in bed, only getting up when he seemed to deem it absolutely necessary. Liam just followed him around as he did what he pleased, standing by the prince as he sat in the gardens or walked around the grounds. He wasn't sure exactly why Zayn felt the need to go anywhere, but he didn't question him. 

At the moment, Zayn was seated in the gardens, one arm thrown over his eyes to block out the sunlight. "Liam?"

It was the literal fourth word that Zayn had said to him all day, the other three being: "Yeah, good morning." Liam couldn't help but immediately step up. 

"Yes, my Lord?"

"Could you stand there?" He gestured, and Liam shifted to move to where Zayn had asked. "A little more to your left."

Again, Liam stepped a bit to the side, figuring out what Zayn wanted as the prince moved his arm away from his face, now being successfully shaded by Liam's shadow. He released a little breath as he folded his hands over his stomach comfortably, humming slightly for a moment. 

"I'm not upset with you," He said after another few moments of silence, and Liam couldn't help but relax a little. 

He didn't say anything, or voice his concern that he had perhaps done something wrong- he didn't really have time to even if he had chosen to anyways. Zayn was speaking again, his eyes still closed. 

"I've had a headache all morning," He groaned, reaching to lightly massage at one of his temples. "How are you doing so well?" 

Liam couldn't help the little laugh he let out. "The magic sort of helps with that," He commented with a bit of a smile. "It's one of the few things it actually does help with."

Zayn just shook his head with a little breath. "Lucky you." 

There was no reply to that, and Zayn opened his eyes to look up toward Liam's looming figure. Something about seeing him there, all wreathed in sunlight like he was made Zayn's stomach do a funny sort of flip and he couldn't stop himself from biting into his lip. Liam was staring toward the grass between his feet, shuffling almost awkwardly as he just kept his mouth shut. 

"I didn't mean it like that," Zayn murmured softly, seeming to know what was going through his mind. 

"I know, my prince," Liam replied gently. He knew that Zayn hadn't meant anything by the comment, but he still couldn't help but feel just a little put off by it. 

So he didn't get headaches or hangovers, and he healed unnaturally fast- that still didn't make up for anything else that had happened. He would never say that to the prince's face though. He had entirely too much respect to do something like that. 

Zayn sighed, shifting to sit up while still staying in Liam's shadow. He sat cross legged comfortably, leaning his elbows lightly on his knees as he looked up toward the mage, those amber eyes holding a gentle curiousness. "What's it like?" 

Liam looked up with the question, confusion crossing his face. "N-not having a headache?" 

The giggle Zayn let out made a blush immediately rise over Liam's face and he felt like a total idiot for saying something so stupid. "No," The prince laughed. "The magic. What does it feel like to hold that much power?" 

His warrior looked back toward the ground, though this time his gaze was cast off to the side- in thought rather than discomfort. "I don't know if I could do it justice," He began softly, one hand moving to let his fingertips seemingly automatically slip over the smooth metal of the cuff around his right wrist. "It has it's own force, it's own life. I can feel the pulse as if having a heartbeat other than my own within my body. Sometimes it ebbs, until it's barely there, until I feel... human. Other times its like it wants to break free but can't, and it has it's own panic, it's own fear of being cut off. It makes my heart pound and it feels like I'm being crushed by the weight of the world and my shoulders are just too weak to hold it up. The shackles are painful, like needles in my skin and with every pulse of power they dig deeper into my arms, grating against my bones-" 

He stopped, realizing belatedly that he had gone too far, his fingers digging deep into his arm just above the cuff at his wrist. He closed his eyes, refusing to meet with Zayn's gaze, afraid of what he might find within those soft irises. The shifting of clothing alerted him to Zayn's movement and a soft caress slipped over the edge of his jaw. 

"If I could remove them..."

"You can't," Liam said. "Once they've been bound, they cannot be unwritten." 

"I know." 

It sounded as though Zayn wanted to say more, but the touch at his jaw slipped away and the prince moved back with a soft sigh. Liam wanted to believe that if Zayn could have the cuffs removed, he would, but he refused to let himself go so far as to believe something like that. Without the shackles he was dangerous, and that was all that anyone would care about. He would lose his hands and the last thing he would ever see would be the white hot iron rod they used to put out his eyes. 

Zayn wanted to ask more, he wanted to learn about Liam, but he knew it was painful for him to talk about, and he didn't want to bring that discomfort to him. He tipped his head down, letting out a soft breath as he stepped away. "Come on, Liam, let's go have lunch."

\--

Liam supposed he shouldn't be surprised to find Jelena in the kitchen when he and Zayn arrived, but he couldn't help it. He hated that she was here- and he hated her reason for being here even more. She was such a shy, awkward thing, but there was something about her that he immensely disliked, and he was sure it wasn't just that she was going to end up being physical with his prince. 

She smiled brightly the moment she spotted Zayn and Liam pretended not to notice the slight falter in her as she glanced at him. He couldn't deny that he just ever so slightly glad that his dislike for the girl seemed to be mutual though. If she didn't like him, he didn't have to pretend to like her. His expression was impassive, but not at all welcoming as he just watched her silently from his stance behind Zayn. His eyes widened slightly as she pouted, very suddenly wrapping her arms around Zayn, who tensed with the touch. 

"What-"

"Zaynie..." She simpered.

Oh gods- it was ghastly to watch her cling all over the prince, batting her lashes and pouting at him as if that would make him feel bad for her. 

"I don't like the way he looks at me. He's a mage, isn't he supposed to keep his eyes on the floor?" 

Zayn reached up to try to dislodge her hold on him, pushing her back lightly. "No," He said. "He's not a threat- least of all to you. I'm not going to tell him to stare at the carpet- don't you think that would sort of defeat the purpose of him being my personal guard?"

"But, it's not as though anyone here would ever try to threaten you." 

"I had a servant come into my room and try to stab me in the back- literally. I will not tell him to let down his guard, regardless of who we're around."

That seemed to make her pause for a moment and she sort of shrunk back into herself. Zayn just shook his head with a frown, obviously not very pleased with her actions as he turned toward the staff, asking them to make up a meal for him and Liam. He turned to leave, expecting the mage to follow after him, but he paused when he didn't hear the obvious shifting of armor. Turning back, Zayn tipped his head to the side a bit. 

"Liam?" 

He glanced toward the prince where he stood by the door. "Forgive me, my Lord. Might you permit me to oversee the preparation of your lunch?"

The little smile that curved up the corners of Zayn's lips was enough of an answer for him, but the prince nodded anyways, gesturing for one of the palace guards to follow him to his room. Liam turned back to the room, crossing his arms over his chest as he surveyed what the servants were doing- not at all missing the look that Jelena gave him from where she was standing by the table. 

"You don't trust me?" She asked. 

"I don't trust anybody," Liam replied, stubbornly keeping his gaze on what the staff was doing. "There's already been once that Zayn was nearly injured- I won't be allowing it to happen again." 

"So was it your fault?" Jelena questioned, and Liam had a feeling she was trying to get a rise out of him. He refused to give her the satisfaction of an answer, but she took his silence with a smirk. "I'll take that as a yes then. You should watch him more carefully. Nobody wants anything to happen to the crowned prince." 

This time, Liam couldn't stop himself from looking toward her, pinning her with a disbelieving and rather cold look. She just smiled sweetly, blowing a kiss his direction before she turned to walk out of the room, using a door in the opposite wall. Liam stared after her for a moment before he again turned to survey the room, a heavy feeling beginning to grow ever so slowly in the pit of his stomach. He didn't like this. 

Zayn avoided Jelena for over a week, and it was so incredibly obvious that he was doing it on purpose. On more than one occasion he would stop short in the middle of a doorway only to turn and walk out if he spotted her. Liam knew it was just nerves. As the days had passed, Zayn had grown more uncomfortable with her presence in the palace, and his dislike of the idea of sleeping with her was made more and more apparent. 

He flippantly disregarded any attempts for his father to speak with him, pretending he wasn't around if that old hag Priscilla came calling. It had been more than eight days of this when he padded into his room, Liam close behind him only to find a neatly penned note sitting innocently in the middle of his bed. He noticed the way the prince ignored the parchment, refusing to really even look at it as he changed from his day clothes into a comfortable looking silk robe. 

Liam didn't have to ask who it was from. He moved to stand at the edge of the bed, fiddling lightly with one of the rivets in his belt, picking lightly at it. Finally, Zayn crossed to the bed, releasing a sigh as he was forced to reach and pick up the note. He flipped it open to read through it, narrowing his eyes slightly at the words. Liam didn't mean to look- or at least he tried to convince himself that he didn't mean to look, anyways. 

'Zayn, love, please. I know you don't like your father's decision, but you must listen to what he says. He only wants what's best for you. -Mother'

The prince just sighed and tossed the note onto the bedside table, moving to drop face down on the bed with a deep sigh. "What am I supposed to do?" 

The words were muffled, but the groan in his tone was obvious and Liam couldn't help but bite his lip, letting out a little breath. "I don't know, Zayn," He said softly. He really didn't know what to do, or what Zayn should do. It hurt to know that the prince was stuck in such a difficult situation. 

"Do you think I could get away with being drunk before I visit her?" 

"I-" Liam paused with a little frown. "I-I don't think that's a good idea, Zayn. You should try to be clear headed."

Zayn sighed, shaking his head as he moved to sit up. "I don't want to be clear headed. I want to get it over as quickly as I can manage- if I can manage it at all."

Liam shifted to sit on the edge of the bed, reaching over to take hold of Zayn's hand with his own little sigh. "I'm sure you can, Zayn," He said softly. "Just... try not to think too hard on it." 

Zayn pulled his hand away from Liam, making him automatically pull back and withdraw into himself before a weight settled over his lap, Zayn's arms wrapping around his neck. Liam blinked in surprise, reaching to set his hands on Zayn's waist gently. He still didn't know what to do, but he wouldn't push the prince away when it was obvious he needed some comfort. A soft kiss pressed to his cheek before the prince tipped his head against the pauldron at his shoulder. 

Moments of silence passed like this, with Liam trying to offer whatever silent comfort he could manage, his thumbs stroking back and forth over Zayn's sides where his hands were still resting at his waist. He felt Zayn tense slightly for a moment, and almost before he knew it, a soft sob rocked lightly through Zayn's body. The mage didn't think on it. 

Wrapping both arms tight around Zayn, Liam tipped his head to press a soft kiss to his cheek. "Oh... my prince," He murmured softly. "I'm so sorry."

He still didn't know what to do, but he wasn't going to let Zayn do this alone. Fingers were fumbling with the buckles of his armor, and Liam lifted one hand from Zayn's waist to begin undoing them. It wasn't exactly easy to get any part of that plate metal off with Zayn clinging to him, but he managed, and once he was in just his soft undershirt and breeches, he moved back onto the bed. 

Zayn pressed close, lying against his chest, arms and legs wrapped around him tightly. The prince was still upset, sobbing lightly against Liam's chest as he just held on for everything he was worth. He couldn't do this. He wouldn't.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wonder if it's fair to say that I hate Gigi yet...?


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I did say it wouldn't happen quite like expected.

Liam stayed unusually close with Zayn over the next couple days, making sure that he was still alright as far as his mood went. He made sure that the prince had whatever he needed as he usually would, getting his breakfast and clothes ready for him before he woke. He was vigilant of how Zayn was feeling at all times, while also being alert of their surroundings. It was a lot to keep up with, but Zayn seemed to appreciate it. 

Every cough or unimpressed noise was met with a soft: "Are you alright?" And each time Zayn even so much as suggested that something was bothering him, Liam was quick to rid of the offending object or person. Honestly, the prince found it rather cute that Liam was trying so hard for him. Part of him almost couldn't say for sure if Liam was doing it just to get in his 'good graces', which he already was, but he pushed that thought away. There was no way that Liam was being anything but genuine. 

Two days after the incident in Zayn's room, Priscilla finally caught up with them. She didn't say a word, she just wrapped one bony hand around Zayn's wrist to drag him to his feet from where he had been sitting on one of the garden benches, sketching something or other. The pages spilled off his lap, and he struggled lightly against her painfully tight grip, but she just dragged him closer with a strength Liam hadn't even known she had. 

"You will see her!"

"No!" Zayn tried to deny her, trying desperately to make her let go. 

"As the crowned prince, it's your duty to do as you're bloody well told to! You will see her, or I will go to your father about this! We shall see how he deals with your insolence." 

Zayn paled, shooting Liam an unsure look before he finally let Priscilla drag him away. Liam was quick to follow, wanting to help, but powerless to do anything as the old hag pulled Zayn through the halls. She stopped eventually, opening a door to shove Zayn inside before she closed it behind him. Liam just stood there dumbfounded as she flipped the lock closed before turning those steely eyes toward him. 

"You will not let him out until you're sure it's done- or so help me..." She let the threat hang, and Liam lowered his gaze as she pushed past him. With his eyes fixed firmly on the carpet, he missed the smirk that crossed the woman's face. 

\--

Zayn turned immediately to try the door, but he rather quickly found that it was locked and he couldn't stop himself from dropping his forehead against the wood with a soft thud. He heard movement behind him, and although he knew who it was, he didn't turn right away. She could wait. 

"Zayn?" The word was soft, and he squeezed his eyes closed. 

"What?" 

"Would you look at me?" 

There was the shifting of clothing, and when Zayn finally turned around to look back at her, Jelena was stood by the side of the bed. The moment his eyes met with hers, she reached to pull the robe she was wearing off her shoulders, baring herself from the waist up. The prince frowned before a blush crossed his face. For whatever reason, he couldn't look away- and it wasn't because he liked what he saw. 

She stood, pale breasts bare to his gaze, wearing this flowy kind of white robe that touched the floor just behind her. Her hair was done up in an obvious attempt at being pretty for him. She moved, padding slowly across the room toward him to where she took hold of both of his hands to try to lead him back to the bed. He followed, though hesitantly, honestly not knowing what to do as she pushed him lightly back onto the bed. 

"Just relax, Zayn. I'll do all the work," She promised, purring the words into his ear as if that would make him calm down at all. 

He was tense even as she reached to begin undoing the tie around his waist that was keeping his sort of tunic styled shirt on, pushing it to the sides to bare the expanse of his chest to her soft touch. She leaned as if to kiss him, but he automatically tipped his head away and with a soft breath, she just leaned to press a soft kiss to the side of his neck. 

"You know, I've been waiting for this moment for weeks," She breathed. Zayn didn't care, but he didn't say as much. "My aunt had thought you might be more receptive, but obviously not. She never told me that you're... into men, you know."

The prince frowned lightly with that, looking back up toward Jelena as she moved to straddle his hips, her thighs squeezing around him lightly. "How could it possibly be her business? Or any of your concern?"

Jelena tipped her head to the side a little, still leaned down over Zayn. He was too focused on his agitation at her to notice the way she slipped one hand up underneath the pillow just beside his head. "Well, it should be her business. She's part of your court, and is rather close with your father." 

Zayn narrowed his gaze slightly in confusion with that. "What-?" He paused, his eyes widening as he recognized not the look, but certainly the colour of her eyes. "Priscilla-"

"That's right," Jelena said with a smirk. "Auntie Priscilla, and my cousin Desmun."

The prince moved as if to shove the girl off, but he didn't manage to make it that far. His fingers curled in the sheer fabric of her robe as his breathing hitched, pain tearing through him. The warmth of blood poured down his side, and Jelena pulled back with a jerk, removing the blood soaked kitchen knife from where she had plunged it between his ribs. She moved to shove Zayn's hands away from herself, pulling her robe up over her shoulders to cover herself. 

"Burn in hell," She hissed, dropping the knife onto the floor as she moved to get off the bed. She paused in front of a vanity mirror to fix her hair, standing straight to lightly smooth the wrinkles out of her clothes before she padded across the room toward the door. 

She knocked lightly and a moment later it was unlocked by Liam who didn't have any time to question her before she pushed past him to walk down the hallway. He didn't want to look- though he knew it hadn't been nearly long enough for them to really get anything done. He didn't want to see Zayn the way he was sure he would find him. 

He still made himself lift his gaze though, and all the colour absolutely faded from him, leaving him weak. "Restrain her!"

He pointed toward one of the palace guards, who while confused, still moved to grab hold of Jelena. Liam was across the bedroom to Zayn before anybody could question him and he couldn't stop himself from reaching to cup the prince's cheek gently. 

"Zayn...?" His voice was shaky and he was so, so terrified in the moment. "Zayn, please." 

Those amber eyes he loved so much opened painfully slowly, and the prince looked up toward him, his gaze clouded with pain and unshed tears. Movement behind him alerted Liam to someone's appearance, but he didn't care. He leaned to press a chaste little kiss to Zayn's lips before he reached as though to try to stop the bleeding, though he knew it was already too late. 

"L-Li-"

"No, don't speak," He shushed the prince gently. "I... I can fix this." 

He reached to wrap his right hand around the cuff at his left wrist, and pain shot through him as he tried to force his magic past the warding. The runes began to glow a muted blue, getting brighter as the moments passed and Liam struggled to break the containment magics. There were guards at the doorway, but they obviously didn't know what to do until- with a sound like a hiss from the depths of hell itself, Liam's cuffs rather suddenly fell, useless to the floor, the runes fading off of the metal slowly. 

The room was very suddenly filled with the most powerful waves of magic any of them had ever come across. Liam was absolutely glowing, his head tipped back and a sort of green light emanating from the tips of his fingers to swirl up around his palms, caressing over his wrists where the damage the cuffs had caused over the years began to rapidly fade. He seemed calm, serene as he shifted to sit on the edge of the bed, reaching up to caress at Zayn's cheek. 

His other hand smoothed gently over his bare side, and Zayn let out a soft breath as his eyes slipped closed. He relaxed beneath the touch, and the soft pinkish glow encasing Liam's hand where it rested over the injury. The hanging plant by the window began to flower, bright red petals unfurling beautifully. A calm overtook the entire room, and within just a minute or so, Zayn moved to sit up. He wrapped his arms around Liam's neck, pressing into a soft, loving kiss as he let the mage hold him close. 

Liam didn't pull back until he was absolutely sure that Zayn was alright and there was barely even a scar left on his skin. The prince reached to hold onto Liam's wrist, making him lift his hand. That gentle green light still hadn't faded away from his skin, and when Zayn reached to smooth his fingertips over Liam's palm, he could feel the pulse of his magic and the way it tingled like static across his skin. 

"How did you-?" 

No mage had ever been able to break their bonds before, and Zayn was honestly shocked that Liam had managed it. "I don't know," Liam breathed. "I was so scared... I thought you were going to die."

"I should have," Zayn said, not bothering to elaborate on that before he pressed into another kiss. 

\--

They had had maybe five minutes of reprieve before all hell broke loose, and Liam now found himself on his knees between two guards that were holding onto thick chains that were wrapped around his arms. Someone was rather quickly removing his cuirass, and someone else was pacing lightly around the room. He could hear Zayn somewhere yelling at his father, pleading with him to spare the mage. Even as the door to the room banged open and three sets of footsteps entered the room, Zayn was still begging his father: "Please, he saved my life! He did it for me!"

"Regardless!" The king cut Zayn off there. "Mages are forbidden to use their powers, and he went against my law!"

Liam felt rough hands curl in the fabric of his shirt to tear it open and bare his back before the oh so familiar ring of metal began to cross the room. 

"He will be punished- but, for you, my son, rather than give him the discipline an insolent mage deserves, he will be shackled again and allowed to keep his hands. Once this is finished he will be sent back to the labour camp and you will be restricted to your room!"

"No!" 

Liam tensed as a slap rang through the room and he watched Zayn push himself up off the floor from where the back handed slap had thrown him. The guards at either side of him stepped further away as anger surged through him, a wave of magic almost powerful enough to take their breath away following swiftly. 

"I am done with you! You have always been an embarrassment to me! Ser Bastian- carry out the punishment."

"With pleasure." 

The words were said with a sick, sort of gleeful tone and Liam grit his teeth as he heard the creak of leather followed by the sudden sound of the whip being swung through the air. The blades whistled through the air, and it was Zayn that released a little cry of denial as they came in contact with the pale skin of Liam's back, ripping painfully through the muscle at the backs of his shoulders, blood immediately beginning to pour from the wounds. 

Ser Bastian had a pleasured smirk on his face, but it faded rather quickly as he watched the injury begin to knit back together before his very eyes. Liam let out a soft breath, closing his eyes as he clenched his fists, the magic coursing through his veins, instantly beginning to heal him. There was a moment of silence before the king stooped to drag Zayn up from the floor. 

"If it won't work on him, then we'll go for the next best thing." 

Rough hands held onto Zayn, forcing him to his knees in front of Liam who looked up to meet with his gaze. Ser Bastian moved to stand behind the prince at the gesture of the king, and he swung his hand back, flicking the whip backward before he lifted it to swing it into a wide arc above his head. 

Zayn saw the anger pass through Liam's eyes and in the way he tensed below the hands on him. The prince's eyes widened, his mouth falling open in a silent, pained look as the whip raked across his back, cutting deeply through that soft skin. Before he could even think, Liam had pulled both of the guards at either of his sides off their feet, shrugging out of the chains with a soft breath. Ser Basian's hand tightened on that whip and the king rushed toward the door, only to have it close and lock right in his face, keeping him in the room. 

The guards all scrambled to get out of Liam's way as he padded around Zayn toward Ser Bastian. He backed against the wall, swinging the whip toward Liam to try to keep him at bay. He lifted his hand, the thin leather of the whip wrapping around his arm to where the hooks of the blades dug into his wrist, becoming rather firmly stuck there, which kept the older man from pulling back to make another swing. With a strength the man wasn't aware he had, Liam ripped the whip out of this hand, throwing it to the floor before he reached out. 

The palm of his hand pressed into Ser Bastian's throat to lift him right off the floor and those angry brown eyes fixed with his gaze. Lifting his free hand up toward Ser Bastian's face, Liam let the power coursing through his veins pool into his palm, and flames began to lick over his fingers and down his wrist. 

"You dare to raise your hand to my prince..." Liam's voice was deep, angry in a way that Zayn had never once thought he would hear from the mage. If he hadn't been so overwhelmed and hurt, he would have been terrified at seeing this powerful side of Liam.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I actually had quite a bit of fun writing this, and I'll probably have even more fun writing the next chapter. 
> 
> Let me know what you think!!

**Author's Note:**

> I really hope you liked this. If there's anything that needs to be fixed, or anything that you would like to understand more about, please comment. 
> 
> I won't give away any spoilers however, so please try not to ask anything that might spoil the later chapters that have more character development and back story.


End file.
